Numbats are critically endangered termite specialists facing severe predation from introduced feral cats and foxes. Predator-free fenced sanctuaries have saved this remarkable species.
Numbat welfare is threatened by predation from introduced feral cats and foxes that have no natural relationship with Australian marsupials. Cat predation is efficient and causes rapid death, but the constant predation pressure creates chronic stress for surviving animals that affects foraging behavior and reproductive success. Predator-free fenced sanctuaries directly protect numbat welfare by removing this predation threat. Animals within these sanctuaries show behavioral recovery from predation stress and successful breeding. The conservation fencing approach has been crucial for numbat survival and demonstrates that targeted predator exclusion can be a decisive welfare intervention.