1 in 1000, my journey to see a Numbat

Have you ever heard of a Numbat? When you hear the name, what comes to mind? Something with wings that maybe sucks blood? Perhaps a creature us Aussies have concocted to scare tourists? While they are quite strange, I can assure you that Numbats are very much real… for now.

Numbats are small, stripey marsupials with long, sticky tongues, capable of consuming up to 30,000 termites per day. I fell in love with these fascinating creatures after seeing them on my Instagram explore page and instantly knew I wanted my own chance to photograph them. After some research, I discovered that Numbats are now endemic to a 28,000-hectare bushland about three hours south of Perth in Western Australia. My mind was made up: I would fly across the country on my first solo photography trip in a mad attempt to see a wild Numbat.

After a week of traveling and exploring WA with friends, I packed up the rental car with borrowed camping gear and set out on the drive down to the Dryandra woodlands. After checking into the campground, I was eager to begin my quest. From my research and conversations with locals, I learned that the best way to spot a Numbat is to drive very slowly (as walking tends to spook them) and scan the sides of the roads, focusing on fallen logs and shrubs, where Numbats are most likely to be found.

Sure enough, luck was on my side. Within the first hour of driving, I spotted a Numbat!

Can you see them?? Even with my 200-500mm lens they were tiny!

Safe to say, I was surprised at how small Numbats actually are! I took this shot from the passenger side window of the car, but my excitement and the Numbat's speed got the better of me, resulting in a very blurry photo as my only capture of the day.

Day two my hopes were high! I spent a total of 8 and a half hours that day driving at around 5km an hour and 2 hours bush walking. I saw lots of other incredible wildlife, including echidnas, and the endangered Carnaby’s Cockatoo, however no Numbats

Day 3, my last day. I woke up feeling very down. I had to leave Dryandra by midday for a long drive to my next campsite, so I was unsure how much time I could dedicate to the search. Down but not out, I packed up the swag and headed out an hour earlier than the day before. Since Numbats are diurnal (most active during the day), I hoped to catch them just as they woke up and began their daily search for termites.

I drove on familiar roads, new roads, and even one that abruptly ended in the middle of the bush, forcing me into the tightest three-point turn I’ve ever done. After about two hours, I was almost ready to give up. But just as my spirits were low, I headed down a gravel road back towards way out—and then I saw them.

We must have seen each other at the same time because, as I hit the brakes, the Numbat froze and then darted into the nearest hole. I immediately remembered all the advice I had been given. I turned off my car, opened my door (not daring to close it as the loud noise would spook them), and even took my shoes off to avoid crunching the gravel if I braved walking around to the other side of the car. Then I waited… and waited… and then, 45 minutes later, the little Numbat reappeared.

Perfectly sat in a beam of sunlight, my heart in my throat as this little Numbat looked straight at me.

She was finally comfortable enough to come out from her hiding hole and resume her digging. Numbats are incredibly flighty animals, so I felt incredibly lucky to spend 20 minutes just watching her go about her day until she decided to retreat back into her hole.

However, despite the joy of the encounter, a somber reality remains. Numbats face numerous challenges, including habitat loss, invasive species, and human activity encroaching on their territory. With only around 1,000 individuals left in the wild, this underscores our collective duty to protect and preserve the natural world.

Yet, there is reason for hope. Thanks to coordinated conservation efforts, passionate individuals are working to safeguard numbat habitats, tackle invasive species, and raise public awareness. Organizations and researchers are dedicating their efforts to ensuring the survival of these remarkable creatures, striving for a future where they can flourish once again.

In the end, my journey to see the Numbats in their natural habitat was an unforgettable adventure filled with highs and lows. While I may not have captured the perfect photograph or spent as much time with these elusive creatures as I had hoped, the experience left a lasting impression on me.

Thank you for joining me on this journey, and may we all continue to explore, appreciate, and safeguard the wonders of our planet.