The numbat is one of Australia’s most distinctive marsupials, with its rusty-red coat, bold white stripes and a long sticky tongue perfectly designed for catching termites. Found in pockets of south-western Western Australia, it’s unusual among marsupials for being active during the day, spending its time sniffing out termite galleries and consuming thousands of termites every day. Once widespread across southern Australia, numbats now face threats from habitat loss and introduced predators such as foxes and feral cats. Conservation organisations like Australian Wildlife Conservancy have played a major role in protecting populations and reintroducing numbats to safe habitats. Despite weighing less than a kilogram, a numbat can eat up to 20,000 termites in a single day — making it one of Australia’s most dedicated insect enthusiasts.