The banded hare wallaby is thought to be more closely related to an extinct family of short-faced kangaroos than to any living species of kangaroo or wallaby. It was one of the first kangaroos to be seen by Europeans when they first arrived in Australia, leading researchers to believe that it was one of the most populous species in the country. However, the introduction of feral cats and grazing animals following European colonisation had a devastating impact on the species, wiping it out from the mainland by 1963. Fortunately, introduced predators have not yet reached the species’ island strongholds, and two small populations have survived to the present day. These two islands require ongoing management to prevent the accidental introduction of cats and foxes which could potentially lead to the extinction of this small charismatic wallaby.