The numbat is one of Australia's most endangered marsupials, relying exclusively on termites for food. Predator control and habitat restoration are critical for its survival and welfare.
Numbats face existential predation pressure from introduced foxes and cats, which hunt numbats opportunistically. For individual numbats, the primary welfare concern is the risk of being caught and killed by a predator, a process that involves acute fear and pain. Live trapping for monitoring purposes causes temporary stress but enables welfare-positive interventions such as parasite treatment and health assessment. Predator-controlled sanctuary fencing has proved transformative, creating welfare refuges where numbats can forage safely and reproduce without the constant predation pressure that characterizes their existence in unprotected landscapes. Intensive fox and cat baiting programs in numbat strongholds are among the most welfare-effective conservation interventions currently available.