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^Lasiorhinus krefftii Nor<strong>the</strong>rn Hairy-nosed Wombat Onychogalea fraenata Bridled Nailtail Wallaby Petrogale lateralis Black-footed Rock-wallaby Petrogale penicillata Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby Zyzomys pedunculatus Central Rock-rat c Competition for food by cats D Domestic cat predation F/D Domestic <strong>and</strong> <strong>feral</strong> cat predation ^Predation <strong>and</strong> disease dispersal. 3.7.7 Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) Summary One <strong>of</strong> Australia’s most destructive <strong>feral</strong> pests, responsible for massive loss <strong>of</strong> native vegetation <strong>and</strong> subsequent erosion, destruction <strong>of</strong> rare plant species, maintaining populations <strong>of</strong> foxes <strong>and</strong> cats, <strong>and</strong> for competition with native mammals. The Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease (RHD) has greatly reduced rabbit numbers, but rabbits are still suppressing mulga regeneration in South Australia, <strong>and</strong> this is a serious concern. Distribution Widespread in <strong>the</strong> Rangel<strong>and</strong>s, but absent from <strong>the</strong> far north. Most common in New South Wales, South Australia <strong>and</strong> sou<strong>the</strong>rn Queensl<strong>and</strong>, on s<strong>and</strong>y substrates. Now sparse within <strong>the</strong> Western Australian Rangel<strong>and</strong>s, although once abundant on <strong>the</strong> Nullabor Plain. Abundance has been greatly reduced within <strong>the</strong> Rangel<strong>and</strong>s by RHD, although numbers may be returning in some regions. Native to Spain <strong>and</strong> Portugal. Impacts The rabbit is one <strong>of</strong> Australia’s worst pests, <strong>and</strong> ‘competition <strong>and</strong> l<strong>and</strong> degradation by <strong>feral</strong> rabbits’ was listed as a key threatening process under Schedule 3 <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Commonwealth Endangered Species Protection Act 1992 (<strong>the</strong> Act). The rabbit probably contributed to <strong>the</strong> disappearance <strong>of</strong> some <strong>of</strong> Australia’s extinct mammals by eating away protective vegetation, taking over burrows, competing for food, <strong>and</strong> serving as a food source for large numbers <strong>of</strong> predatory foxes <strong>and</strong> cats. Rabbits also consume rare plants, although most <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> threatened species occur outside <strong>the</strong> Rangel<strong>and</strong>s. They also cause erosion by removing vegetation. Rabbits are considered competitors <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Rufous hare-wallaby (Lundie-Jenkins et al. 1993) - now extinct on <strong>the</strong> mainl<strong>and</strong> - <strong>the</strong> rare yellow-footed rock wallaby (Dawson & Ellis 1979), <strong>the</strong> rare MacDonnell Ranges population <strong>of</strong> brushtail possum (Morton et al. 1995), <strong>and</strong> threatened malleefowl (Garnett & Crowley 2000). They damage habitat for slender-billed thornbills, Rufous fieldwrens <strong>and</strong> striated grasswren on <strong>the</strong> Nullabor Plain (Morton et al. 1995). Rabbits have transformed <strong>the</strong> vegetation over substantial areas <strong>of</strong> Australia by consistently removing seedlings <strong>of</strong> mulga (Acacia aneura) <strong>and</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r dominant plants (Cooke 1987, Lange & Graham 1983), including belah (Casuarina pauper) <strong>and</strong> buloke (Allocasuarina luehmannii). 20
RHD (previously known as rabbit calicivirus), has greatly reduced rabbit numbers throughout <strong>the</strong> Rangel<strong>and</strong>s, <strong>and</strong> in most regions native vegetation is responding dramatically. (The <strong>impact</strong> <strong>of</strong> RHD is reported in various papers appearing in a special issue - volume 29 [6]) - <strong>of</strong> Wildlife Research). But in South Australia, within <strong>the</strong> Flinders <strong>and</strong> Gammon Ranges, mulga is failing to regenerate in <strong>the</strong> presence <strong>of</strong> very low numbers <strong>of</strong> rabbits (R. Henzell, pers. comm.). There has been very little if any regeneration <strong>of</strong> mulga within <strong>the</strong>se regions since rabbits entered in <strong>the</strong> nineteenth century (G. Mutze pers. comm.). Mulga is a major habitat for wildlife in arid Australia <strong>and</strong> this lack <strong>of</strong> regeneration is a serious concern. Mulga woodl<strong>and</strong> in Western Australia, <strong>the</strong> Nor<strong>the</strong>rn Territory <strong>and</strong> Queensl<strong>and</strong> is regenerating, <strong>and</strong> this problem appears to be confined to South Australia <strong>and</strong> New South Wales, where mulga seedlings, under a regime <strong>of</strong> low summer rainfall, grow very slowly <strong>and</strong> remain vulnerable to rabbit predation for many years. (In mulga woodl<strong>and</strong> in o<strong>the</strong>r states Rabbits are also more patchily distributed, especially in <strong>the</strong> north <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir range where hot summers limit <strong>the</strong>ir range). In western New South Wales problems are evident outside <strong>the</strong> mulga zone as well. In Kinchega National Park very little recruitment <strong>of</strong> plants is occurring, <strong>and</strong> suckers produced by four species (Acacia carneorum, Alectryon oleifolius, Casuarina pauper <strong>and</strong> Santalum acuminatum) are not surviving browsing, leading Denham <strong>and</strong> Auld (2004) to conclude that ‘<strong>the</strong> probability <strong>of</strong> successful recruitment into populations <strong>of</strong> suckering species in western New South Wales continues to be low even at very low rabbit densities’. In New South Wales <strong>the</strong> situation is compounded by large number <strong>of</strong> goats <strong>and</strong> kangaroos which contribute greatly to total browsing pressure. The problem <strong>of</strong> rabbits preventing regeneration is considered fur<strong>the</strong>r in Section 7.1.8. Rabbits are an important food for native birds <strong>of</strong> prey. A study around Mildura found that young rabbits were <strong>the</strong> staple food (60-92 per cent by weight) <strong>of</strong> wedge-tailed eagles, goshawks, harriers, kites <strong>and</strong> falcons (Baker-Gabb 1984). Similar results have been reported in o<strong>the</strong>r studies. Rabbits are also a major source <strong>of</strong> food for foxes <strong>and</strong> cats, with <strong>the</strong> latter targeting rabbit kittens. One study in western New South Wales found that rabbits made up 45 per cent <strong>of</strong> fox diets <strong>and</strong> 54 per cent <strong>of</strong> cat diets (Catling 1988). When RHD spread across Australia <strong>the</strong>re were concerns that native birds <strong>of</strong> prey would decline dramatically, <strong>and</strong> that abundant foxes <strong>and</strong> cats, deprived <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir main prey, would exact a heavy toll on rare native fauna. Since <strong>the</strong> spread <strong>of</strong> RHD <strong>the</strong>re have been some declines in birds <strong>of</strong> prey but not to a serious extent. Rare native species are not known to have suffered from increased fox <strong>and</strong> cat predation. Holden <strong>and</strong> Mutze (2002) found that foxes ate more insects <strong>and</strong> carrion after rabbit numbers dropped, <strong>and</strong> both fox <strong>and</strong> cat numbers decreased substantially after RHD went through. Table 7 Species listed in <strong>the</strong> rabbit Threat Abatement Plan (1999) for which rabbits are a known or perceived threat. Known threat Scientific name Common name Mammals Macrotis lagotis Greater Bilby Plants Caladenia gladiolata Orchid Thesium australe Austral toad-flax 21
Page 1: Review of<
Page 4 and 5: Contributors Andrew Norris Pest Ani
Page 6 and 7: 3.7.36 Common Myna (Acridot
Page 8 and 9: Table of figures F
Page 10 and 11: Section 2 Introduction Feral <stron
Page 12 and 13: Amanda Dimmock, QD
Page 14 and 15: Section 3 A status review o
Page 16 and 17: 3.4 Birds Thirteen (or 14) species
Page 18 and 19: Information on the
Page 20 and 21: Summary A rodent that contributes t
Page 22 and 23: Dingoes can become a threat to wild
Page 24 and 25: The significance of</strong
Page 26 and 27: macropods and b<st
Page 30 and 31: Perceived threat Geopsittacus occid
Page 32 and 33: conservation areas. It is less clea
Page 34 and 35: Table 8 Rare species found in <stro
Page 36 and 37: Competition Several examples are re
Page 38 and 39: In truth, camels do substantial dam
Page 40 and 41: the Tanami. Buffal
Page 42 and 43: The situation today Buffalo numbers
Page 44 and 45: qualify under IUCN criteria as enda
Page 46 and 47: 3.7.16 Goat (Capra hircus) Summary
Page 48 and 49: Drakonorchis drakeoides Hinged Drag
Page 50 and 51: 3.7.19 Red Deer (Cervus elaphus) Su
Page 52 and 53: Impacts Much is known about <strong
Page 54 and 55: Distribution Ostriches have won <st
Page 56 and 57: nest in tree hollows along
Page 58 and 59: Distribution The skylark is found i
Page 60 and 61: Distribution The blackbird is wides
Page 62 and 63: 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 102 and 103:
Summary of <strong
Page 104 and 105:
Individual tracking Tracking is a l
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SA - Currently cats are not widely
Page 108 and 109:
Method of control
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Aerial shooting Aerial shooting can
Page 112 and 113:
Summary of <strong
Page 114 and 115:
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 126 and 127:
5.9 Management of
Page 128 and 129:
follow transect lines, one kilometr
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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
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Poisons Traditionally, strychnine,
Page 140 and 141:
infected and steri
Page 142 and 143:
of high priority.
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Method of control
Page 146 and 147:
5.11 Management of
Page 148 and 149:
technique can allow for cost-effect
Page 150 and 151:
Summary of <strong
Page 152 and 153:
In South Australia, between 30 <str
Page 154 and 155:
Summary of <strong
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 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
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
Page 222 and 223:
Van Rensberg, PJJ, Skinner, JD, <st
Page 224 and 225:
Appendix A Ferals animals</
Page 226 and 227:
Indigenous lands I
Page 228 and 229:
Appendix B Stakeholder survey form
Page 230 and 231:
222
Page 232 and 233:
224
Page 234 and 235:
226
Page 236 and 237:
Appendix C Database on past NHT fun
Page 238 and 239:
Lachlan Rehabilitation of</
Page 240 and 241:
Northern Territory
Page 242 and 243:
Cape York Ambiilmungu-Ngarra tradit
Page 244 and 245:
Wet Tropics Expansion and</
Page 246 and 247:
Avon Protecting and</strong
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