Review of the management of feral animals and their impact on ...

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• Goats degrading temperate woodl<strong>and</strong>s • Banteng at high densities degrading Garig Gunak Barlu National Park • Donkeys in high densities degrading Indigenous l<strong>and</strong>s in <strong>the</strong> Nor<strong>the</strong>rn Territory • Foxes, dingoes, pigs <strong>and</strong> cats preying on <strong>the</strong> eggs <strong>of</strong> two freshwater turtles in Queensl<strong>and</strong> • Pigs preying on turtle eggs in north Queensl<strong>and</strong> • Dingoes <strong>and</strong> dogs preying on turtle eggs in <strong>the</strong> Nor<strong>the</strong>rn Territory. 7.1.1 Deer Deer have suddenly emerged as a serious pest issue for Australia. Many new populations have appeared across <strong>the</strong> Rangel<strong>and</strong>s as stock from deer farms are released or escape. But deer provide a unique opportunity for cost-effective action as most <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> new populations can be eradicated if action is taken soon. Deer were released at many sites in <strong>the</strong> nineteenth century, but usually <strong>the</strong>y failed to survive, <strong>and</strong> those that did survive rarely prospered, usually remaining near <strong>the</strong>ir site <strong>of</strong> introduction (Wilson et al. 1992). Deer are attractive, <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> convenient perception has arisen that unlike o<strong>the</strong>r <strong>feral</strong> <strong>animals</strong>, <strong>the</strong>y do not multiply or cause harm. In his ground-breaking book about pests, They All Ran Wild, Eric Rolls claimed that ‘Deer have done no noticeable damage in Australia’ (Rolls 1969). The Bureau <strong>of</strong> Rural Resources book, Pest Animals in Australia (Wilson et al. 1992) also remains silent about deer damage to <strong>the</strong> environment. But deer are harmful <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir numbers in Australia are exploding. Recently published <strong>and</strong> authoritative books (Strahan 1995, Harrison 1998) assert that Australia has only one population <strong>of</strong> chital deer, found near Charters Towers, when in truth <strong>the</strong>re are at least 28 populations spread across four states, many within <strong>the</strong> Rangel<strong>and</strong>s. This information comes from Moriarty (2004), who recently surveyed government l<strong>and</strong> managers. He documented 65 red deer populations in place <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> four mentioned in recent books (including Strahan 1995), contradicting <strong>the</strong> claim by Wilson et al. (1992) that ‘There is evidence that <strong>the</strong> range <strong>of</strong> … red deer has contracted due to clearing <strong>of</strong> suitable habitat <strong>and</strong> hunting.’ Moriarty concluded that ‘Wild deer in Australia have moved from a minor component <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Australian biota to one that is now widespread.’ Moriarty underestimated <strong>the</strong> deer population, overlooking several populations recorded during a Queensl<strong>and</strong> survey (Jesser 2005). Small deer herds in thick vegetation are easily overlooked (Jesser pers. comm.) Evidence is also mounting to show that deer cause serious ecological <strong>and</strong> environmental harm. The Scientific Committee <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> New South Wales National Parks <strong>and</strong> Wildlife Service supports a proposal to list <strong>feral</strong> deer damage as a key threatening process <strong>impact</strong>ing upon vulnerable or endangered species, populations <strong>of</strong> ecological communities (Jesser 2005). The red deer appears on <strong>the</strong> IUCN list <strong>of</strong> 100 <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> World’s Worst Invasive Alien Species, largely because <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> harm it does in New Zeal<strong>and</strong>. The explosion in deer numbers is largely a consequence <strong>of</strong> deer farming (Section 3), an industry that grew rapidly during <strong>the</strong> 1980s (Jesser 2005). Deer were trapped from <strong>feral</strong> populations <strong>and</strong> used as breeding stock. According to <strong>the</strong> Rural Industries Research <strong>and</strong> Development Corporation (2000), <strong>the</strong> number <strong>of</strong> farmed deer rose annually by about 25 percent up until <strong>the</strong> early 1990s. Deer periodically escape through inadequate fences (Moriarty 2004). The market for <strong>the</strong>ir products crashed in <strong>the</strong> early 1990s <strong>and</strong> many deer were liberated when <strong>the</strong> cost <strong>of</strong> feeding <strong>the</strong>m rose 158
above <strong>the</strong>ir value. The St<strong>and</strong>ing Committee on Agriculture (1980) expressed <strong>the</strong> view that escapes from deer farms would be <strong>of</strong> little consequence <strong>and</strong> would not result in deer exp<strong>and</strong>ing <strong>the</strong>ir range (Jesser 2005). But according to Moriarty (2004), deer farms account for 77 <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>feral</strong> herds found today. Hunting has also contributed to <strong>the</strong> problem (see Section 7.4). Deer have been released into national parks, state forests, catchment l<strong>and</strong>s <strong>and</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r secluded places (Moriarty 2004). Sales <strong>of</strong> live deer to stock new l<strong>and</strong>s have become <strong>and</strong> important source <strong>of</strong> revenue for deer farmers (Jesser pers. comm.). For a couple <strong>of</strong> thous<strong>and</strong> dollars a farmer can establish a herd on his or her l<strong>and</strong>. Changes to <strong>the</strong> firearm laws in <strong>the</strong> wake <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Port Arthur Massacre oblige gun owners to show some reason for owning a gun, a requirement met by joining <strong>the</strong> Sporting Shooters Association. New members receiving <strong>the</strong> journal learn about <strong>the</strong> joys <strong>of</strong> deer hunting, which is thought to be growing in popularity (Jesser 2005). According to Moriarty (2004), 127 <strong>of</strong> Australia’s 218 <strong>feral</strong> deer populations have arisen because <strong>of</strong> hunting. Australia is now estimated to have 200,000 <strong>feral</strong> deer <strong>and</strong> 200,000 deer in captivity (Moriarty 2004). Within <strong>the</strong> Rangel<strong>and</strong>s <strong>the</strong>y occur in widely scattered herds in Queensl<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> New South Wales, but not in Western Australia or <strong>the</strong> Nor<strong>the</strong>rn Territory. Within <strong>the</strong> South Australian Rangel<strong>and</strong>s only <strong>feral</strong> red deer <strong>and</strong> fallow deer are present, <strong>and</strong> only around Port Augusta. As is true for most <strong>feral</strong> <strong>animals</strong>, <strong>the</strong> environmental <strong>impact</strong>s <strong>of</strong> deer in Australia have not been adequately documented. Those members <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> community who know most about deer are those who like <strong>the</strong>m, <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong>y disinclined to document all <strong>the</strong> harm done. Despite <strong>the</strong> inadequate information base, enough is known to show that deer, in sufficient numbers, can be as harmful as any o<strong>the</strong>r ho<strong>of</strong>ed animal. The only studies <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir <strong>impact</strong> in Australia have been undertaken in Royal National Park, Sydney, where rusa deer have long been recognised as a destructive <strong>feral</strong> pest (Mahood 1981). There <strong>the</strong>y are blamed for ‘overgrazing, browsing, trampling, ring-barking, dispersal <strong>of</strong> weeds… creation <strong>of</strong> trails, concentration <strong>of</strong> nutrients, exposing soils to erosion/accelerating erosion, <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> subsequent degradation <strong>of</strong> water quality in creek <strong>and</strong> river systems’ (Jesser 2005, <strong>and</strong> Section 3). O<strong>the</strong>r information about deer harm is more anecdotal. Jesser (2005), in a pest review undertaken by <strong>the</strong> Queensl<strong>and</strong> government, recorded that chital in <strong>the</strong> Charters Towers area are ‘causing significant environmental damage, with vegetation grazed to bare ground. Pest plants such as rubber vine (Cryptostegia gr<strong>and</strong>iflora), chinee apple (Zizyphus mauritiana) <strong>and</strong> par<strong>the</strong>nium (Par<strong>the</strong>nium hysterophorus) are also flourishing in areas where chital are not adequately controlled.’ Rubber vine <strong>and</strong> par<strong>the</strong>nium are two <strong>of</strong> Australia’s 20 worst weeds (<strong>of</strong>ficially listed as Weeds <strong>of</strong> National Significance). When Moriarty (2004) conducted his survey, he asked about damage caused by deer: ‘L<strong>and</strong> managers reported <strong>the</strong> following deer-related problems: browsing <strong>of</strong> native plant species <strong>and</strong> agricultural crops (81% <strong>of</strong> respondents), fence damage (61%), garden damage (43%), competition with native <strong>animals</strong> <strong>and</strong>/or stock (40%), vehicle accidents (25%), weed dispersal (17%), water-quality degradation (11%), spread <strong>of</strong> stock disease (9%), erosion (5%).’ O<strong>the</strong>r anecdotal evidence <strong>of</strong> deer damage is documented in Section 3. Overseas, damage by deer is well documented. Abundant native deer are causing major 159
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<
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have been translocated to o
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esources. Significant investment in
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many native species (Clarke et al.
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spread across the
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Section 4 Legislative framework 4.1
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protection, as long as it falls wit
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Native Vegetation Conservation Act
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ehabilitate existing native vegetat
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suppression, which is the</
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al. 1986, 1987). The use of
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5.1.4 Mustering Commercial musterin
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etal. (1997) found that many native
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the vaccine <stron
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Where possible, integration <strong
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strategy, relative cost-effectivene
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Fencing Feral buffalo have a reputa
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5.3 Management of
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Summary of <strong
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time comes for the
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Summary of <strong
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Individual tracking Tracking is a l
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SA - Currently cats are not widely
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Method of control
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Aerial shooting Aerial shooting can
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Summary of <strong
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80% of export was
Page 116 and 117: ensuring effective treatment <stron
Page 118 and 119: the lower cost, wi
Page 120 and 121: 5.8 Management of
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 132 and 133: Summary of <strong
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,
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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
Page 164 and 165: Section 7 Key problems and<
Page 168 and 169: conservation problems in Europe <st
Page 170 and 171: message that camels are a valuable
Page 172 and 173: In the Koolatong R
Page 174 and 175: environmental degradation’ (Nor<s
Page 176 and 177: ecause dingo and d
Page 178 and 179: Various control methods have been a
Page 180 and 181: Pascale Taplin, an Indigenous L<str
Page 182 and 183: Lack of a Strategi
Page 184 and 185: eradicated after seeing the
Page 186 and 187: In some situations, payment <strong
Page 188 and 189: could have led to better protocols
Page 190 and 191: Game hunting is a growing business,
Page 192 and 193: Much as we might like it, t
Page 194 and 195: conservation outcome. In such a sit
Page 196 and 197: community consultation and<
Page 198 and 199: • Have the non-t
Page 200 and 201: provide opportunities for strategic
Page 202 and 203: Section 9 Priorities for investment
Page 204 and 205: contacted for exact locations <stro
Page 206 and 207: way. Achilles heel research should
Page 208 and 209: efficient in any given situation. R
Page 210 and 211: west Queensland re
Page 212 and 213: Crossland, MR, 199
Page 214 and 215: 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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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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