# Easter Bilby

The easter bilby is an Australian alternative to the Easter Bunny. == Origin == Bilbies are native Australian marsupials that are endangered. To raise money and increase awareness of conservation efforts, bilby-shaped chocolates and related merchandise are sold within many stores throughout Australia as an alternative to Easter bunnies.The first documented use of the easter bilby concept was in March 1968 when a 9-year-old girl Rose-Marie Dusting, wrote a story, "Billy The Aussie easter bilby," which she published as a book 11 years later.