The Vertebrate Fauna of Jenolan Karst Conservation Reserve: Final

OVERVIEW
“…the mind is overwhelmed with the magnificence of the scene. …No description
that can be given can convey to the mind a full idea of [the caves]; and to the
lover of nature, whether he be scientific or not, they well repay a visit.” An
anonymous correspondent to The Empire, Sydney Tuesday January 5 th , 1858 on visiting
Jenolan Caves
Jenolan Karst Conservation Reserve (JKCR) is an iconic reserve on the western edge of the southern
Blue Mountains. It is contiguous with over 1.03 million hectares of woodland, forest and wilderness of
the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area – a globally important conservation area. JKCR is
special due to its spectacular and complex network of limestone caves. The caves are a major tourist
attraction, hosting upwards of 230 000 visitors per year. The karst also provides important habitat for a
range of interesting and rare fauna. Despite this, Jenolan Caves and the surrounding forest reserve
has never been the subject of a comprehensive wildlife survey. This project has collated the wealth of
anecdotal information about the fauna of JKCR and filled information gaps with systematic survey.
The caves at Jenolan were well known to the local Gundungurra Indigenous people before they were
first encountered by Europeans in the early 1800’s. The caves rapidly became a popular tourist
attraction and they gained an international reputation for their exquisite beauty and for the extent of
the underground system. Development to improve visitor access became a priority, and many
changes were made. Some cave entrances were blocked, new ones were created and lighting was
installed. This undoubtedly impacted the wildlife that lived there, though the extent to which it did is
unknown. Today, over 320 cave entrances have been identified, and while tourism remains a focus,
the majority are managed primarily for conservation.
JKCR forms a critical part of the reserve system in NSW. The rarity and extent of the limestone makes
it internationally important. Sooty owls, brush-tailed rock-wallabies and spotted-tailed quolls are all
found at Jenolan Caves, when in many other parts of NSW they are rare or have seriously declined.
Thousands upon thousands of bats reside in the myriad of limestone caves and overhangs. There are
at least two regionally important roost sites for the eastern bentwing-bat. All of these threatened
animals rely on the karst for their continued survival at Jenolan, either for shelter, as a safe place to
breed or as a refuge from the introduced predators that now roam the landscape.
Outside the caves, the surrounding reserve is also home to an impressive array of wildlife. Two
hundred and thirty five native terrestrial vertebrate fauna species have been recorded for the reserve,
in addition to thirteen introduced species. Thirty-five threatened species are known – a remarkable
number given the small size of the reserve. At least nine species have become extinct from the
reserve since European settlement, though this number may be as high as 14. Although this is an
alarming figure, it is likely typical of the region. However, unlike most areas, the number of extinct
species can be accurately calculated here due to the sub-fossil sooty owl pellet deposits that go back
20,000 years in time. These deposits – the remains of thousands of meals of the sooty owl – are
potentially the single-most important fauna value of Jenolan Caves. There are few other places in
Australia or the world where there is such a detailed account of ecosystem changes due to the everchanging
climate and the catastrophic impact of the arrival of Europeans, feral cats and foxes. The
scientific value of these deposits is immeasurable.
This report has been written to assist staff in prioritising management of vertebrate fauna at JKCR.
Each threatened species has been given a ‘profile’ where its conservation status, distribution, threats
and management recommendations are summarised. Threats to fauna at JKCR have been identified
and ranked in order of priority. Mitigating actions, including those already in place, have also been
listed and ranked. Cave-dwelling fauna have been given special attention in a stand-alone section at
the end of this report. Cave-dwelling fauna, including threats and management of threats are
considered in detail along with the results of the sooty owl pellet analysis.
The Vertebrate Fauna of Jenolan Karst Conservation Reserve
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