Numbats no longer endangered but threat far from over

A breeding program at Perth Zoo has helped boost the number of numbats. (Richard Wainwright/AAP PHOTOS)

Long-tongued, termite-munching numbats are no longer endangered due to decades of successful conservation efforts, the global authority on the status of the natural world says.

Also known as banded anteaters, the status of the pint-sized marsupial has improved to near-threatened on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List.