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80% <strong>of</strong> export was derived from <strong>feral</strong> goats resulting in an export value <strong>of</strong> approximately $41 million (Q. Hart pers.comm.). Trapping The reliance <strong>of</strong> goats on water during dry periods, particularly on artificial water supplies, is a critical weak-point in <strong>the</strong> <strong>feral</strong> goat’s normal resilience to control. Trapping groups <strong>of</strong> goats around watering points can be an effective <strong>and</strong> efficient control technique (Harrington 1982). It involves <strong>the</strong> construction <strong>of</strong> goat pro<strong>of</strong> fences around water points with a number <strong>of</strong> one way entrances or jump down ramps to allow <strong>the</strong> goats access to <strong>the</strong> water, but prevent <strong>the</strong>ir leaving (Henzell 1984, Diver 1991, Sullivan 1992, Parkes et al. 1996). This technique is most effective during dry times when goats are obliged to find water <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong>re is limited access to alternative water sources. Once captured, <strong>the</strong> goats may be sold to <strong>of</strong>fset <strong>the</strong> costs <strong>of</strong> capture or <strong>the</strong>y may be humanely destroyed. Some concerns have been expressed about <strong>the</strong> use <strong>of</strong> traps at water points <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> potential deleterious <strong>impact</strong>s on non-target species <strong>and</strong> animal welfare. Some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se concerns can be addressed by providing larger traps to minimise stress <strong>and</strong> allow for more effective h<strong>and</strong>ling <strong>of</strong> stock. Non-target species may also be trapped <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong>se <strong>animals</strong> must be drafted out as quickly as possible to avoid undue stress. Trap yards at natural water holes pose special problems as <strong>the</strong>y may severely restrict access by native species. One option is to design fences that selectively exclude certain species from water points. Knowledge <strong>of</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r species that may be locally at risk from inappropriately designed traps could be used to identify <strong>the</strong> most suitable trap design <strong>and</strong> usage. Machine vision technology is one option for reducing trapping rates <strong>of</strong> non-target species <strong>and</strong> increasing <strong>the</strong> effectiveness <strong>of</strong> trapping in <strong>the</strong> future. Electronic perception technology is a form <strong>of</strong> machine vision technology that gives a semiconductor or system <strong>the</strong> ability not only to record <strong>the</strong> image <strong>of</strong> an object, but to be able to distinguish <strong>the</strong> object from <strong>the</strong> background or from o<strong>the</strong>r objects in a scene. The technology uses an approach similar to radar, where waves <strong>of</strong> emitted energy are bounced <strong>of</strong>f an object. Animals are identified before <strong>the</strong>y enter a trap, allowing <strong>the</strong> potential for segregating goats <strong>and</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r <strong>feral</strong> <strong>animals</strong> from native species <strong>and</strong> stock. This could be achieved through a computer controlled swing gate directing <strong>animals</strong> into different caged zones, or by denying access into <strong>the</strong> traps to undesirable species. Artificial watering points are so numerous in <strong>the</strong> arid <strong>and</strong> semi-arid Rangel<strong>and</strong>s <strong>of</strong> Australia that <strong>the</strong>ir spacing is rarely more than 10 kilometres apart (James etal. 1997). Current efforts to cap <strong>the</strong> bores throughout <strong>the</strong> Great Artesian Basin are likely to contribute in time to more effective <strong>management</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>feral</strong> goats. In Western Australia it has been proposed that <strong>the</strong> installation <strong>of</strong> trap yards throughout <strong>the</strong> <strong>feral</strong> goat range in that State be required to ensure a level <strong>of</strong> control <strong>of</strong> both <strong>feral</strong> <strong>and</strong> domesticated goats. Fencing Fencing can be expensive to establish <strong>and</strong> maintain (Lim et al. 1992, Cash & Able 1994). There are several recommended designs for conventional <strong>and</strong> electric fences to constrain domestic goats for normal Australian conditions (Lund & May 1990, Markwick et al. 1992, McCutchan 1994, Long & Robley 2004). Feral goats have been found to respect electric fences, particularly once <strong>the</strong>y have encountered <strong>the</strong>m. Where 106
total exclusion <strong>of</strong> goats is required, adequate fences are likely to remain unacceptably <strong>and</strong> prohinitively expensive. Since fences usually do not permanently stop <strong>the</strong> movement <strong>of</strong> all goats, <strong>the</strong>y should only be used as a tactical technique in a <strong>management</strong> program (Parkes 1990). They may be useful for excluding goats from l<strong>and</strong> containing flora <strong>of</strong> high conservation value when used in conjuction with a controlled buffer zone <strong>and</strong> continual monitoring. Shooting Aerial shooting has been successfully used to control goats (Mahood 1985, Naismith 1992, Maas & Choquenot 1995, Pople et al. 1996). In pastoral areas this method is mostly used to control inaccessible populations, manage low density populations or remove survivors from o<strong>the</strong>r control campaigns (Parkes et al. 1996). It may also be <strong>the</strong> only technique to achieve broad scale reductions when goat prices are low. It generally involves using helicopters as a shooting platform with light aircraft occasionally acting as 'spotters'. This method is costly, but allows difficult terrain to be covered quickly <strong>and</strong> gives culling rates far in excess <strong>of</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r control methods (Lim et al. 1992). The costs <strong>of</strong> this technique vary greatly, but tend to rise exponentially with decreasing goat density (Parkes 1993b, Maas & Choquenot 1995). Ground based shooting is not commonly used as a control strategy for <strong>feral</strong> goats in <strong>the</strong> pastoral areas <strong>of</strong> Australia due to its labour intensity <strong>and</strong> variable efficiency dependent upon climatic conditions (Dodd & Hartwig 1992, Edwards et al. 1994). Shooting goats from <strong>the</strong> ground is mainly used in forested areas, <strong>and</strong> in such areas, ground hunters may also use trained dogs to indicate, track, or bail goats (Parkes 1990). Volunteer shooters have been successfully used to conduct ground shooting as part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> control methods within Bounceback 2000. The success with volunteer shooters in this case has been achieved by having well defined objectives <strong>and</strong> an effective system <strong>of</strong> coordinating <strong>the</strong>ir activities to maximise <strong>the</strong> level <strong>of</strong> control achieved. In one example from <strong>the</strong> Gammon Ranges National Park (South Australia), 78 volunteer hunters killed over 3400 goats in about 1000 square kilometres <strong>of</strong> rugged country at a cost (excluding labour) <strong>of</strong> about $10 per square kilometre (Dodd & Hartwig 1992). Judas goat This technique involves attaching a radio collar to a <strong>feral</strong> goat <strong>and</strong> releasing it in <strong>the</strong> expectation that it will join up with o<strong>the</strong>r goats. The goat is <strong>the</strong>n tracked down <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> herd which it has joined is killed. Judas goats are generally used where <strong>the</strong>re is a low density population; to locate survivors <strong>of</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r control campaigns (Parkes et al. 1996) <strong>and</strong> to monitor areas thought to be free <strong>of</strong> goats (Taylor & Katahira 1988). However, this technique is expensive as it requires costly equipment <strong>and</strong> skilled staff. It may be warranted only in areas where extremely low goat densities are identified as being necessary to protect conservation values or where eradication <strong>of</strong> goats is a feasible option. This technique has not been used to eradicate goats in flatter semi-arid pastoral areas. The use <strong>of</strong> helicopters to locate <strong>and</strong> shoot <strong>animals</strong> associating with <strong>the</strong> Judas goat has not been trialled in Australia, but is used with success in high altitude grassl<strong>and</strong>/scrub habitats in New Zeal<strong>and</strong> (Hondelink 1992). Fertility control The use <strong>of</strong> contraceptive control through hormone treatment is not considered a viable option for managing <strong>feral</strong> goat populations as <strong>the</strong>re are no practical methods <strong>of</strong> 107
Page 1:
Review of<
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Contributors Andrew Norris Pest Ani
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3.7.36 Common Myna (Acridot
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Table of figures F
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Section 2 Introduction Feral <stron
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Amanda Dimmock, QD
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Section 3 A status review o
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3.4 Birds Thirteen (or 14) species
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Information on the
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Summary A rodent that contributes t
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Dingoes can become a threat to wild
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The significance of</strong
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macropods and b<st
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^Lasiorhinus krefftii North
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Perceived threat Geopsittacus occid
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conservation areas. It is less clea
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Table 8 Rare species found in <stro
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Competition Several examples are re
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In truth, camels do substantial dam
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the Tanami. Buffal
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The situation today Buffalo numbers
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qualify under IUCN criteria as enda
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3.7.16 Goat (Capra hircus) Summary
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Drakonorchis drakeoides Hinged Drag
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3.7.19 Red Deer (Cervus elaphus) Su
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Impacts Much is known about <strong
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Distribution Ostriches have won <st
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nest in tree hollows along
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Distribution The skylark is found i
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Distribution The blackbird is wides
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Land, and<
Page 64 and 65: have been translocated to o
Page 66 and 67: esources. Significant investment in
Page 68 and 69: many native species (Clarke et al.
Page 70 and 71: spread across the
Page 72 and 73: Section 4 Legislative framework 4.1
Page 74 and 75: protection, as long as it falls wit
Page 76 and 77: Native Vegetation Conservation Act
Page 78 and 79: ehabilitate existing native vegetat
Page 80 and 81: suppression, which is the</
Page 82 and 83: al. 1986, 1987). The use of
Page 84 and 85: 5.1.4 Mustering Commercial musterin
Page 86 and 87: etal. (1997) found that many native
Page 88 and 89: the vaccine <stron
Page 90 and 91: Where possible, integration <strong
Page 92 and 93: strategy, relative cost-effectivene
Page 94 and 95: Fencing Feral buffalo have a reputa
Page 96 and 97: 5.3 Management of
Page 98 and 99: Summary of <strong
Page 100 and 101: time comes for the
Page 104 and 105: Individual tracking Tracking is a l
Page 106 and 107: SA - Currently cats are not widely
Page 108 and 109: Method of control
Page 110 and 111: Aerial shooting Aerial shooting can
Page 116 and 117: ensuring effective treatment <stron
Page 118 and 119: the lower cost, wi
Page 122 and 123: conservation value rathe</s
Page 124 and 125: effort on the cont
Page 128 and 129: follow transect lines, one kilometr
Page 130 and 131: as a refuge from predators. Removal
Page 134 and 135: was completed it was the</s
Page 136 and 137: warren structure amenable to recolo
Page 138 and 139: Poisons Traditionally, strychnine,
Page 140 and 141: infected and steri
Page 142 and 143: of high priority.
Page 144 and 145: Method of control
Page 148 and 149: technique can allow for cost-effect
Page 152 and 153: In South Australia, between 30 <str
Page 156 and 157: % respondents 100% 90% 80% 70% 60%
Page 158 and 159: a) b) Figure 3. a) Extent o
Page 160 and 161: Figure 4 Response frequency for lik
Page 162 and 163: distribution of <s
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Section 7 Key problems and<
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• Goats degrading temperate woodl
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conservation problems in Europe <st
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message that camels are a valuable
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In the Koolatong R
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environmental degradation’ (Nor<s
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ecause dingo and d
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Various control methods have been a
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Pascale Taplin, an Indigenous L<str
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Lack of a Strategi
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eradicated after seeing the
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In some situations, payment <strong
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could have led to better protocols
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Game hunting is a growing business,
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Much as we might like it, t
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conservation outcome. In such a sit
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community consultation and<
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• Have the non-t
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provide opportunities for strategic
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Section 9 Priorities for investment
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contacted for exact locations <stro
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way. Achilles heel research should
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efficient in any given situation. R
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west Queensland re
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Crossland, MR, 199
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Forsyth, DM, and P
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Lange, RT, and Gra
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Morgan, LA and But
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Parkes, JP, 1990, Feral goat contro
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Van Rensberg, PJJ, Skinner, JD, <st
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Appendix A Ferals animals</
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Indigenous lands I
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Appendix B Stakeholder survey form
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222
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224
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226
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Appendix C Database on past NHT fun
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Lachlan Rehabilitation of</
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Northern Territory
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Cape York Ambiilmungu-Ngarra tradit
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Wet Tropics Expansion and</
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Avon Protecting and</strong
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