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

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In <strong>the</strong> Koolatong River Basin: ‘Buffalo are <strong>the</strong> most significant <strong>feral</strong> animal issue in <strong>the</strong> basin. The numbers in <strong>the</strong> sou<strong>the</strong>rn sections are increasing <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong>y are spreading into pristine wetl<strong>and</strong>s…Saltwater intrusion is currently being observed in some wetl<strong>and</strong>s which could effectively ruin <strong>the</strong>ir natural <strong>and</strong> cultural value. An urgent assessment, consultation <strong>and</strong> implementation <strong>of</strong> control actions need to be undertaken.’ In <strong>the</strong> Liverpool River Basin: ‘Latest <strong>of</strong>ficial estimates for <strong>the</strong> upper Mann <strong>and</strong> Liverpool basins are 10,000 <strong>animals</strong>…Buffalo numbers are on <strong>the</strong> increase as can be seen by <strong>the</strong> aerial monitoring that has been going on over <strong>the</strong> past decade.’ In <strong>the</strong> Goyder River Basin: ‘Buffalo are steadily growing into large numbers through most <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> basin with a rough estimate <strong>of</strong> over 1000. The area around Gatji <strong>and</strong> Galidjapin homel<strong>and</strong>s support high densities <strong>of</strong> <strong>animals</strong>, <strong>and</strong> wetl<strong>and</strong>s have been severely <strong>impact</strong>ed. Control work in this area will be necessary to ensure <strong>the</strong> long-term protection <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> basin.’ In <strong>the</strong> Goomadeer River Basin: ‘A range <strong>of</strong> habitats in <strong>the</strong> s<strong>and</strong>stone plateau is being degraded by <strong>feral</strong> water buffalo… Continued <strong>management</strong> <strong>of</strong> buffalo populations in <strong>the</strong> plateau should be considered a priority.’ Buffalo numbers are also reported to be increasing in <strong>the</strong> Blyth River Basin. As well, buffalo are now spreading west to reclaim former habitat, including Kakadu National Park, where numbers are presently low, but <strong>management</strong> problems are expected in future (A. Fitzgerald pers. comm.). And according to <strong>the</strong> L<strong>and</strong> Council report, buffalo are exp<strong>and</strong>ing <strong>the</strong>ir current distribution in <strong>the</strong> Victoria River Basin south-west <strong>of</strong> Ka<strong>the</strong>rine, <strong>and</strong> control may be possible ‘while it remains economically feasible to do so’. As Edwards et al. (2003) observe about Top End buffalo, ‘Obviously <strong>the</strong> population has enormous growth potential’. Large scale culling <strong>of</strong> buffalo on Indigenous l<strong>and</strong>s should become a high priority. This can only be undertaken with <strong>the</strong> consent <strong>of</strong> traditional l<strong>and</strong>holders. Aboriginal l<strong>and</strong>holders are well aware <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> damage buffalo do to wetl<strong>and</strong>s, <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong>re is support for population reductions, although <strong>of</strong>ten an unwillingness to see <strong>animals</strong> killed <strong>and</strong> not used. Unfortunately, <strong>the</strong>re is only limited dem<strong>and</strong> for wild buffalo products. The largest numbers <strong>of</strong> buffalo occur in remote regions far from abattoirs. The dem<strong>and</strong> for trophy <strong>animals</strong> by hunters is very limited. Indigenous attitudes towards buffalo are discussed fur<strong>the</strong>r in Section 7.2.1 below. 7.1.4 Banteng Banteng occur in Australia only on Coburg Peninsula, Nor<strong>the</strong>rn Territory, inside Garig Gunak Barlu National Park (previously Gurig National Park). Banteng have long been a cause <strong>of</strong> l<strong>and</strong> degradation on <strong>the</strong> Coburg Peninsula, <strong>and</strong> a Board <strong>of</strong> Inquiry that studied <strong>feral</strong> animal problems in <strong>the</strong> Nor<strong>the</strong>rn Territory recommended in 1979 that banteng be removed from <strong>the</strong> reserve, with perhaps a ‘small herd <strong>of</strong> say 100 head’ retained for historical reasons within a small fenced area (Letts et al. 1979). 164
That advice was not followed, <strong>and</strong> instead <strong>the</strong> whole peninsula was fenced in, so that <strong>the</strong> banteng population was free to multiply within <strong>the</strong> reserve but could not spread. The population has multiplied dramatically since <strong>the</strong>n, from 1070 in 1978, to 1500- 3500 in 1985, to 7000-9000 today, resulting in a population density <strong>of</strong> perhaps 10 banteng per square kilometre (see Section 3). The banteng have perhaps reached <strong>the</strong> maximum density that <strong>the</strong> fenced area can support. The head ranger, Peter Fitzgerald, said that sick <strong>and</strong> dying banteng are <strong>of</strong>ten noted at <strong>the</strong> end <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> dry season. In one season, 28 were so sick <strong>the</strong>y were shot. The banteng appeared to have eaten poisonous plants for want <strong>of</strong> better feed. They were dragging <strong>the</strong>ir legs <strong>and</strong> sometimes falling over. The degradation in <strong>the</strong> national park caused by banteng includes loss <strong>of</strong> sedge vegetation, browse lines on trees, trampling <strong>of</strong> wetl<strong>and</strong>s, damage to coastal dunes, <strong>and</strong> cattle pads passing through forests (Section 3). Panton (1993) found a ‘highly significant difference’ between plots that were fenced to exclude banteng <strong>and</strong> unfenced plots. In March 2005 Cyclone Ingrid struck Coburg Peninsula. It was a category five cyclone with winds at 300 kilometres an hour. Almost every tree on <strong>the</strong> peninsula that was not blown over lost its crown. The ground within <strong>the</strong> national park is now strewn with fallen timber. Fitzgerald (pers. comm.), said it took rangers two days to remove fallen timber from a four kilometre road to <strong>the</strong> airstrip. A team <strong>of</strong> four men took almost two weeks to clear <strong>the</strong> three kilometre track to <strong>the</strong> old Victoria settlement. The cyclone damage will <strong>impact</strong> upon <strong>the</strong> banteng in various ways: • Fallen timber has covered grass <strong>and</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r groundcover plants • Banteng tracks through <strong>the</strong> forest are now covered in timber, preventing access • Fierce fires will rage through <strong>the</strong> park during <strong>the</strong> dry season <strong>and</strong> destroy vegetation. Fitzgerald says that fires will inevitably be lit by <strong>the</strong> traditional owners <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> park. Garig Gunak Barlu is co-managed by <strong>the</strong> local Aboriginal community <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong>y burn fires each year. Park rangers have lit some fires recently, during <strong>the</strong> wet season, to reduce <strong>the</strong> dry season fire risk, <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong>se have burnt with unexpected ferocity, destroying pipes <strong>and</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r infrastructure. Banteng should be culled for two reasons: • To reduce <strong>the</strong>ir numbers to a more ecologically acceptable level. Letts et al. (1979) were recommending a herd <strong>of</strong> 100 but <strong>the</strong>re are about 8,000 in <strong>the</strong> park today; • As a humanitarian act to prevent mass starvation during <strong>the</strong> dry season. A cull <strong>of</strong> banteng may be resisted for two reasons: • The Aboriginal community regards banteng as a resource because trophy hunters pay a fee to kill bull banteng within <strong>the</strong> park; • Banteng are an endangered species in South-East Asia <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> Australian population is (incorrectly) seen as having high conservation value. Fitzgerald believes that <strong>the</strong> Indigenous community could be convinced about culling if <strong>the</strong>y could be shown <strong>the</strong> damage that banteng do to bush tucker plants. O<strong>the</strong>r indigenous communities have supported culling when <strong>the</strong> damage from <strong>feral</strong> <strong>animals</strong> was demonstrated. There is some local recognition that banteng ‘have caused 165
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
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ensuring effective treatment <stron
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the lower cost, wi
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5.8 Management of
Page 122 and 123: conservation value rathe</s
Page 124 and 125: effort on the cont
Page 126 and 127: 5.9 Management of
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,
Page 140 and 141: infected and steri
Page 142 and 143: of high priority.
Page 144 and 145: Method of control
Page 146 and 147: 5.11 Management of
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 166 and 167: • Goats degrading temperate woodl
Page 168 and 169: conservation problems in Europe <st
Page 170 and 171: message that camels are a valuable
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
Page 216 and 217: Lange, RT, and Gra
Page 218 and 219: Morgan, LA and But
Page 220 and 221: 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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