Christmas has come early in outback Queensland with twin bilbies emerging from their mother's pouch at Charleville's Bilby Experience.
Information centre coordinator Danielle Lancaster said they were the first set of twins they've had in the nocturnal house, emerging from mum Ruby's pouch on Wednesday.
"That's been a fabulous pre-Chistmas gift here in Charleville," Ms Lancaster said.
"They just look like miniature bilbies; they're fully haired, got that striking stripe on their tail, big ears."
The greater bilbies — as opposed to the extinct lesser bilbies — are still to be named and have their sexes determined, but they are already making a splash among outback visitors.
"They were a little bit shy to begin with, and they'll still pop back into mum's pouch for about a week after they've emerged to have a suckle," Ms Lancaster said.
"It's quite a comical show for everyone coming to see them because Ruby's hopping around with half of a bilby coming out of her pouch."
'R-rated show, but this is nature'
The breeding program within the nocturnal house has been labelled a success with two other male bilbies being born earlier this year.
"We have to warn people when we have the male in there, it's often an R-rated show but this is nature and wildlife and that's what happens," Ms Landcaster said.
"Obviously the bilby is still very, very threatened. It's an endangered animal and the flagship really for the endangered species of Australia."
Save the Bilby Fund CEO Kevin Bradley said it was worth celebrating every bilby birth because of its significance to conservation efforts.
"It's been a horror story really," he said.
"They used to occupy 70 per cent of the Australian mainland; they are back to about 10 per cent of their former range.
Fate to be decided
When the bilbies are of a certain age, a threatened species team in Brisbane will decide where best to place them to boost conservation efforts.
They may end up at the fenced bilby enclosure in Currawinya National Park, about four hours' drive south of Charleville, a zoo, or potentially stay in the breeding program at the Charleville Bilby Experience.
"They don't really get a chance to pick who they are going to go with and that's purely to increase that genetic pool because it is so, so low."
