Help Us Renew the Felixer Lease to Protect Bilbies Beyond the Fence

June 9, 2026

At Save the Bilby Fund, we stand at a critical moment for bilby conservation in Queensland. We urgently need to renew our Felixer lease so we can continue protecting greater bilbies from feral cats at Currawinya National Park.

Without the Felixers operating in the release area, bilbies face one of Australia’s deadliest introduced predators alone.

What Is a Felixer?

A Felixer Grooming Trap is a targeted conservation tool designed to reduce feral cat populations while minimising impacts on native wildlife. Using advanced sensors and technology, the Felixer identifies feral cats and helps remove them from sensitive conservation areas.

For threatened species like the greater bilby, this technology can mean the difference between survival and extinction.

Preparing for a historic moment. Our team trains on the Felixer units that will protect our bilby pioneers as they take their first steps in the wild – a first for Queensland. >>>

Why the Felixer Matters for Bilbies

Feral cats kill millions of native animals every day across Australia. Bilbies are especially vulnerable once they move beyond predator-proof fencing into the wild.

At Currawinya National Park, our team is preparing for Queensland’s first bilby release beyond the fence. But protecting bilbies across such a vast landscape takes more than one person alone.

Kev, our only full-time on-ground conservation worker, spends most of the year in Currawinya managing predator control and monitoring bilbies. The Felixers allow protection to continue 24 hours a day, even when Kev cannot physically cover the enormous area himself.

The Felixers act as extra eyes and hands on the landscape, helping us protect bilbies around the clock.

We Must Raise Funds to Renew the Lease

Save the Bilby Fund is a small charity with only a handful of employees. The Felixer units are leased, and the renewal cost sits far beyond what our small team can fund alone.

This campaign exists for one purpose:

To keep the Felixers operating in bilby habitat.

Every donation directly supports the Felixer lease renewal and helps keep these vital conservation tools active in the field.

Protecting Bilbies Beyond the Fence

Bilbies cannot recover if they remain confined to fenced areas forever. To secure the future of this iconic Australian species, we must establish thriving wild populations protected from feral predators.

That is exactly what the Felixers help us achieve.

By renewing the lease, supporters help:

Protect bilbies released beyond the fence
Reduce feral cat predation in the release area
Support 24/7 predator management
Give bilbies a fighting chance in the wild

Speaking of Devastating Losses

You may remember in our last email we asked how many mammal species have gone extinct since European settlement.

The answer was 39 species.

That means 39 unique Australian mammals are now gone forever. Feral cats helped drive most of them to extinction. We cannot let the greater bilby become number 40.

That is why we are asking for your support today. If you can, please donate to help cover the cost of extending the lease of four Felixer units for another three years.

It has been a long journey. Delays to the bilbies’ release have been beyond our control, but we continue moving closer to this historic moment.

Government permission will mark the final step in the approvals process. Once approval comes through, we can finally begin relocating bilbies into the wild in a first for Queensland.

With the help of supporters like you, we can give bilbies the protection they need beyond the fence and help secure their future in the wild.