The Easter Bunny carrying his gift basket of colored eggs,
chocolate and jelly beans is a familiar symbol of the Easter
holiday for many. But there is a movement down under to replace
the Easter bunny with the native Australian bilby.
The rabbit was not originally native to Australia. It was
introduced in 1788, but did not spread rapidly until two dozen
rabbits were released in 1859 for sport hunting. The combination
of no natural predators in Australia and their infamous ability
to breed quickly resulted in the original 24 turning into a
population of millions within 10 years. The rabbits ate much of
the vegetation, causing food shortages for the indigenous
species. The vegetation removal also caused significant problems
with soil erosion. Despite many attempts to curtail the rabbit
population, the problem continues today. Currently, the rabbit
causes an estimated $AU600 million in damages per year. This
widespread damage to the Australian environment has resulted in
the rabbit being viewed unfavorably by the majority of the
population. In most parts of Australia, it is even illegal to
own a rabbit as a pet.
Because of the rabbit's history in Australia, some Aussies
decided they wanted a new symbol for their Easter celebrations.
They chose the bilby, a native Australian animal and a member of
the bandicoot family. Thus, the concept of the "Easter Bilby"
was born. The bilby is similar in size to a rabbit, with long
ears, long, snoot-like nose, soft grey fur, and a distinctive
black and white tail. The idea for the Easter Bilby has been
around since the 1970s. However, the idea has picked up momentum
in recent years, as the bilby has become an endangered species
(currently, only an estimated 600 bilbys exist in the wild).
Just like the Easter Bunny, the bilby carries his basket full of
chocolate eggs and delivers goodies to children everywhere in
Australia each year. There are Easter Bilby songs, children's
stories, cards, stuffed animals, chocolate-shaped bilby treats,
organizations, and websites, all dedicated to this new
tradition. So if you happen to find yourself down under during
the Easter holiday, don't mention the bunny!
About the author:
Bill Smith is the owner of Holiday Gifts & Gift Baskets a
website for year-round holiday gift ideas including Christmas,
Valentine's Day, East
er, Mother's Day and more.
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