Killing for Conservation - Plenary 2

2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-74
Keyword(s):  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Plenary Session ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Charles Darwin ◽  
Population Control ◽  
Waste Paper ◽  
Feral Cat ◽  
Question And Answer ◽  
National University

Following the second session of the forum, a question and answer session was facilitated by Paul Willis. The presentations covered by this plenary session were: John Woinarski (Charles Darwin University) - Killing Peter to save Paul: when is it appropriate to cull native species to benefit other native species?Ricky Spencer (Western Sydney University) - What ‘impact’ will the killing of two million cats by 2020 have on feral cat populations?Rod Kavanagh (Australian Wildlife Conservancy) - Conservation fencing: little cost but significant benefits for threatened native species.Libby Robin (Australian National University) - Eradicating the ugly.George R Wilson and Melanie Edwards (Australian Wildlife Services) - Professional kangaroo population control leads to better animal welfare, conservation outcomes and avoids waste. (Paper included post forum.)

scholarly journals Seasonal and spatial shifts in feral cat predation on native seabirds vs. non-native rats on Mikura Island, Japan

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarara Azumi ◽  
Yuya Watari ◽  
Nariko Oka ◽  
Tadashi Miyashita
Keyword(s):  
Native Species ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Interspecific Interactions ◽  
Rattus Rattus ◽  
Large Body ◽  
Effective Control ◽  
Alternative Prey ◽  
Feral Cat ◽  
Feral Cats ◽  
Invasive Predators

Abstract Understanding how invasive predators impact native species is essential for the development of effective control strategies, especially in insular environments where alternative non-native prey species exist. We examined seasonal and spatial shifts in diet of feral cat Felis silvestris catus focusing on the predation on native streaked shearwaters, Calonectris leucomelas, and introduced rats, Rattus rattus and R. norvegicus, which are alternative prey to shearwaters, on Mikura Island, Japan. Streaked shearwaters breed at low elevations on the island from spring to autumn, whereas rats inhabit the island throughout the year, which makes them an alternative prey when native shearwaters are absent. Fecal analysis revealed that feral cats dramatically shifted their diets from introduced rats in winter to streaked shearwaters in seabird-season in low elevation areas of the island, while cats preyed on rats throughout the year at high altitudes on the island. This finding suggests that feral cats selectively prey on shearwaters. This is probably because of their large body size and less cautious behavior, and because introduced rats sustain the cat population when shearwaters are absent. The number of streaked shearwaters killed was estimated to be 313 individuals per cat per year, which represents an indication of top-down effects of feral cats on streaked shearwaters. Further studies on the demographic parameters and interspecific interactions of the three species are required to enable effective cat management for the conservation of streaked shearwaters on this island.

Evidence of significantly higher island feral cat abundance compared with the adjacent mainland

2019 ◽  
Vol 46 (5) ◽  
pp. 378 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick L. Taggart ◽  
Bronwyn A. Fancourt ◽  
Andrew J. Bengsen ◽  
David E. Peacock ◽  
Patrick Hodgens ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Relative Abundance ◽  
Spatial Model ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Prey Species ◽  
South Australia ◽  
Camera Trap ◽  
Feral Cat ◽  
Feral Cats ◽  
Continental Scale ◽  
Scale Models

Context Feral cats (Felis catus) impact the health and welfare of wildlife, livestock and humans worldwide. They are particularly damaging where they have been introduced into island countries such as Australia and New Zealand, where native prey species evolved without feline predators. Kangaroo Island, in South Australia, is Australia’s third largest island and supports several threatened and endemic species. Cat densities on Kangaroo Island are thought to be greater than those on the adjacent South Australian mainland, based on one cat density estimate on the island that is higher than most estimates from the mainland. The prevalence of cat-borne disease in cats and sheep is also higher on Kangaroo Island than the mainland, suggesting higher cat densities. A recent continental-scale spatial model of cat density predicted that cat density on Kangaroo Island should be about double that of the adjacent mainland. However, although cats are believed to have severe impacts on some native species on the island, other species that are generally considered vulnerable to cat predation have relatively secure populations on the island compared with the mainland. Aims The present study aimed to compare feral cat abundance between Kangaroo Island and the adjacent South Australian mainland using simultaneous standardised methods. Based on previous findings, we predicted that the relative abundance of feral cats on Kangaroo Island would be approximately double that on the South Australian mainland. Methods Standardised camera trap surveys were used to simultaneously estimate the relative abundance of feral cats on Kangaroo Island and the adjacent South Australian mainland. Survey data were analysed using the Royle–Nichols abundance-induced heterogeneity model to estimate feral cat relative abundance at each site. Key results Cat abundance on the island was estimated to be over 10 times greater than that on the adjacent mainland. Conclusions Consistent with predictions, cat abundance on the island was greater than on the adjacent mainland. However, the magnitude of this difference was much greater than expected. Implications The findings show that the actual densities of cats at local sites can vary substantially from predictions generated by continental-scale models. The study also demonstrates the value of estimating abundance or density simultaneously across sites using standardised methods.

Evaluation of risks for two native mammal species from feral cat baiting in monsoonal tropical northern Australia

2018 ◽  
Vol 45 (6) ◽  
pp. 518 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaime Heiniger ◽  
Skye F. Cameron ◽  
Graeme Gillespie
Keyword(s):  
Rhodamine B ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Field Trials ◽  
Camera Traps ◽  
Northern Australia ◽  
Target Species ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
Feral Cat ◽  
Feral Cats ◽  
Dry Tropics

Context Feral cats are a significant threat to native wildlife and broad-scale control is required to reduce their impacts. Two toxic baits developed for feral cats, Curiosity® and Hisstory®, have been designed to reduce the risk of baiting to certain non-target species. These baits involve encapsulating the toxin within a hard-shelled delivery vehicle (HSDV) and placing it within a meat attractant. Native animals that chew their food more thoroughly are predicted to avoid poisoning by eating around the HSDV. This prediction has not been tested on wild native mammals in the monsoonal wet–dry tropics of the Northern Territory. Aim The aim of this research was to determine whether northern quolls (Dasyurus hallucatus) and northern brown bandicoots (Isoodon macrourus) would take feral cat baits and ingest the HSDV under natural conditions on Groote Eylandt. Methods We hand-deployed 120 non-toxic baits with a HSDV that contained a biomarker, Rhodamine B, which stains animal whiskers when ingested. The species responsible for bait removal was determined with camera traps, and HSDV ingestion was measured by evaluating Rhodamine B in whiskers removed from animals trapped after baiting. Key results During field trials, 95% of baits were removed within 5 days. Using camera-trap images, we identified the species responsible for taking baits on 65 occasions. All 65 confirmed takes were by native species, with northern quolls taking 42 baits and northern brown bandicoots taking 17. No quolls and only one bandicoot ingested the HSDV. Conclusion The use of the HSDV reduces the potential for quolls and bandicoots to ingest a toxin when they consume feral cat baits. However, high bait uptake by non-target species may reduce the efficacy of cat baiting in some areas. Implications The present study highlighted that in the monsoonal wet–dry tropics, encapsulated baits are likely to minimise poisoning risk to certain native species that would otherwise eat meat baits. However, further research may be required to evaluate risks to other non-target species. Given the threat to biodiversity from feral cats, we see it as critical to continue testing Hisstory® and Curiosity® in live-baiting trials in northern Australia.

Building selection by the common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula)

2020 ◽  
Vol 47 (2) ◽  
pp. 186
Author(s):  
Yuqing Chen ◽  
Bruce Doran ◽  
Sharyn Sinclair-Hannocks ◽  
John Mangos ◽  
Philip Gibbons
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Canopy Cover ◽  
Brushtail Possum ◽  
Suitable Habitat ◽  
Trichosurus Vulpecula ◽  
Building Maintenance ◽  
National University ◽  
The Common ◽  
Common Brushtail Possum

Abstract ContextThe common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) is a protected native species in Australia that can access buildings in urban areas and cause considerable damage or disruption to building occupants. Although several strategies to discourage this species from entering buildings have been recommended, few have been evaluated empirically. AimsOur study aims to analyse how landscaping and building construction influence occupancy of buildings by the common brushtail possum. MethodsWe collated reports of possums occupying 134 buildings over 12 years on the campus of The Australian National University (ANU), in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). We used generalised linear modelling (GLM) to identify associations between the total number of reported possum-related incidents for buildings and a range of landscape and building characteristics. Key resultsControlling for the effect of building size, we found that the number of reported possum-related incidents in buildings was positively associated with the percentage of tree and shrub canopy cover within the calculated home-range buffer distance of 49m from buildings, length of canopy overhanging roofs and building age, and negatively associated with tree species richness and number of trees with natural hollows and nest boxes within 49m of buildings. There were likely to be more possum-related reports from buildings in areas where the dominant tree genus was native, buildings with parapets (walls extending above the roof), buildings with structures penetrating from the roof, buildings with tile roofs and gable roofs. ConclusionsA combination of suitable habitat surrounding buildings, suitable access to the roofs of buildings and weak points in building roofs (e.g. parapets, roof penetrations), makes them more vulnerable to occupancy by the common brushtail possum. Implications Our results provided clues for managing existing buildings, or designing new buildings, in a way that may reduce the likelihood of occupancy by the common brushtail possum. Our study also demonstrated how building-maintenance records can be used to address human–wildlife conflict over time.

New approaches to zoology: Plenary 1

2020 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 404-406
Keyword(s):  
Plenary Session ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Radio Telemetry ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Camera Trapping ◽  
Primary Industry ◽  
New Approaches ◽  
University Of Technology ◽  
Question And Answer ◽  
First Session

Following the first session of the forum, we held a question and answer session facilitated by Paul Willis. The presentations covered by this plenary session were: Unravelling the secret behaviour of animals using animal-borne camera (Catherine Herbert et al. Sydney University)Large-scale, low-cost monitoring of animal spatial movements: Motus and an automated radio-telemetry grid for Australian zoology (Andrea Griffin et al. Newcastle University)Camera trapping advances: into the new millennia (Paul Meek et al. NSW Dept of Primary Industry)Sound recorders and soundscapes (Paul Roe Queensland University of Technology)

scholarly journals Asteraceae Diversity and A New Record For Java at Citalahab Village, Gunung Halimun-Salak National Park

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 383
Author(s):  
Dee Dee Al Farishy ◽  
Andi Salamah
Keyword(s):  
Native Species ◽  
New Record ◽  
National Park ◽  
Invasive Alien Species ◽  
Population Control ◽  
Plant Family ◽  
Conservation Area ◽  
The Family ◽  
Asteraceae Family ◽  
Current Record

Asteraceae is the second largest plant family in the world. The family member has reached 227 species in Java. However, there is no current record of wild Asteraceae around local village within Gunung Halimun-Salak National Park. This study is to provide current Asteraceae species data and the threat for the conservation area. Explorative method has been conducted in 6 sites. The result shows that there are 20 species found with the tribes composition are 8 Heliantheae, 6 Eupatorieae, 3 Senecioneae, 1 Astereae, 1 Cichorieae, and 1 new record Vernonieae in Java. Key identification for species are provided and the new record has been described. Most species categorized as introduced with several other categorized as invasive alien species. In conclusion, numbers of Asteraceae family has been recorded with some potential ivansive threat in Gunung Halimun-Salak National Park. Regular population control and treatment are recommended in order to protect native species in the conservation area.

scholarly journals Predicting targets and costs for feral-cat reduction on large islands using stochastic population models

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn R. W. Venning ◽  
Frédérik Saltré ◽  
Corey J. A. Bradshaw
Keyword(s):  
Native Species ◽  
Relative Effectiveness ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Two Phase ◽  
Feral Cat ◽  
Feral Cats ◽  
Density Reduction ◽  
Founding Population ◽  
Final Population ◽  
Capture Techniques

AbstractFeral cats are one of the most destructive invasive predators worldwide. Due to the high risk of feral predators pushing native species to extinction in Australia, density-reduction or eradication campaigns can improve the persistence probability and recovery of native fauna. Kangaroo Island — Australia’s third-largest island — was recently nominated as a complete cat-eradication site by the federal government. Because many population density-reduction campaigns are costly and not effective in the long term, mathematical models predicting optimal culling regimes can guide management plans, especially if they include estimates of costs under different policy decisions. We constructed a stochastic population model with cost estimates to test the relative effectiveness and cost-efficiency of two main culling scenarios for Kangaroo Island to 2030: (1) constant proportional annual cull (one-phase), and (2) high initial culling followed by a constant proportional maintenance cull (two-phase). We also examined the effectiveness of a trap-neuter-release scenario to compare with the culling outcomes. We found that an average culling proportion of ≥ 0.3 would reduce the population to ≤ 0.1 of the founding population, while a two-phase cull where an initial cull of ≥ 0.6 was followed by a maintenance cull of ≥ 0.45 would reduce the final population to 0.01 of its initial size by 2030. Costs estimates varied widely depending on capture techniques used, but a combination of Felixer™ cat-eradication units, conventional traps, and hunting was the most cost-effective in the two-phase culling scenario when hunting is used to make up culling shortfalls (minimum costs estimated at AU$46.5 million–AU$51.6 million with an initial cull of ≥ 0.6, maintenance cull of ≥ 0.45). Trap-neuter-release was an inefficient approach compared to the culling scenarios. Our model results provided direction for the efficient eradication of feral cats on Kangaroo Island and can be transferred to feral-cat management elsewhere.

scholarly journals Does aerial baiting for controlling feral cats in a heterogeneous landscape confer benefits to a threatened native meso-predator?

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. e0251304
Author(s):  
Russell Palmer ◽  
Hannah Anderson ◽  
Brooke Richards ◽  
Michael D. Craig ◽  
Lesley Gibson
Keyword(s):  
Native Species ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Camera Traps ◽  
Feral Cat ◽  
Feral Cats ◽  
Gps Collars ◽  
Control Programs ◽  
Treatment Site ◽  
National Priority ◽  
Positive Effect

Introduced mammalian predators can have devastating impacts on recipient ecosystems and disrupt native predator–prey relationships. Feral cats (Felis catus) have been implicated in the decline and extinction of many Australian native species and developing effective and affordable methods to control them is a national priority. While there has been considerable progress in the lethal control of feral cats, effective management at landscape scales has proved challenging. Justification of the allocation of resources to feral cat control programs requires demonstration of the conservation benefit baiting provides to native species susceptible to cat predation. Here, we examined the effectiveness of a landscape-scale Eradicat® baiting program to protect threatened northern quolls (Dasyurus hallucatus) from feral cat predation in a heterogeneous rocky landscape in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. We used camera traps and GPS collars fitted to feral cats to monitor changes in activity patterns of feral cats and northern quolls at a baited treatment site and unbaited reference site over four years. Feral cat populations appeared to be naturally sparse in our study area, and camera trap monitoring showed no significant effect of baiting on cat detections. However, mortality rates of collared feral cats ranged from 18–33% after baiting, indicating that the program was reducing cat numbers. Our study demonstrated that feral cat baiting had a positive effect on northern quoll populations, with evidence of range expansion at the treatment site. We suggest that the rugged rocky habitat preferred by northern quolls in the Pilbara buffered them to some extent from feral cat predation, and baiting was sufficient to demonstrate a positive effect in this relatively short-term project. A more strategic approach to feral cat management is likely to be required in the longer-term to maximise the efficacy of control programs and thereby improve the conservation outlook for susceptible threatened fauna.

scholarly journals Testing Darwin’s naturalization conundrum based on taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional dimensions of vascular plants

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jesús N. Pinto-Ledezma ◽  
Fabricio Villalobos ◽  
Peter B. Reich ◽  
Daniel J. Larkin ◽  
Jeannine Cavender-Bares
Keyword(s):  
Native Species ◽  
Charles Darwin ◽  
Environmental Gradients ◽  
Fire Frequency ◽  
Nonnative Species ◽  
Phylogenetic Structure ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Scales ◽  
Alternative Hypotheses ◽  
External Forces ◽  
Over Time

AbstractCharles Darwin posited two alternative hypotheses to explain the success of nonnative species based on their relatedness to incumbent natives: coexistence between them should be (i) more likely with greater relatedness (due to trait similarity that correlates with better matching to the environment), or (ii) less likely (due to biotic interference, such as competition). The paradox raised by the opposing predictions of these two hypotheses has been termed ‘Darwin’s naturalization conundrum’ (DNC). Using plant communities measured repeatedly over a 31-year time span across an experimental fire gradient in an oak savanna (Minnesota, USA) we evaluated the DNC by explicitly incorporating taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic information. Our approach was based on ‘focal-species’ such that the taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic structure of species co-occurring with a given nonnative species in local communities was quantified. We found three main results: first, nonnatives colonizers tended to co-occur most with closely related incumbent natives in recipient communities, except in the extreme ends of the fire gradient (i.e., communities with no fire and those subjected to high fire frequencies); second, with increasing fire frequency, nonnative species were functionally more similar to native species in recipient communities; third, functional similarity of co-occurring nonnatives and natives in recipient communities showed a consistent pattern over time, but the phylogenetic similarity shifted over time, suggesting that external forces (e.g., climate variability) are also relevant in driving the phylogenetic relatedness of nonnatives to natives in invaded communities. Our results provide insights for understanding the invasion dynamics across environmental gradients and highlight the importance of evaluating different dimensions of biodiversity in order to produce more powerful evaluations of species co-occurrence at different spatial and temporal scales.

scholarly journals Prevalence of heartworm infection in the feral cat population of Grand Cayman

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 205511691983808
Author(s):  
Brandy Darby ◽  
Charles Dickinson ◽  
Lori Gaskins ◽  
Paul Hanna
Keyword(s):  
Population Control ◽  
Antibody Test ◽  
Pulmonary Vasculature ◽  
Feral Cat ◽  
Feral Cats ◽  
Grand Cayman ◽  
Positive Antibody ◽  
Heartworm Infection ◽  
Histopathologic Changes ◽  
Thoracic And Abdominal

Objectives The aim of this study was to determine the presence and prevalence of heartworm infection in the feral cat population of Grand Cayman. Methods During the study period, feral cats were routinely trapped and euthanized for population control by the municipal animal shelter. Cats older than 6 months of age were obtained for post-mortem examination shortly after euthanasia. The heart, lungs, pulmonary vasculature, thoracic and abdominal cavities were examined for the presence, location and number of mature heartworms. Sections of caudal lung were evaluated histologically and serologic tests were performed to screen for additional evidence of heartworm exposure. Results Mature heartworms were identified in the pulmonary vasculature of 4/36 cats (11.1%). An additional nine cats showed histopathologic changes in the lungs consistent with heartworm exposure, and one cat had a positive antibody test. Conclusions and relevance The results indicate a minimum heartworm prevalence of 11.1% within this population of feral cats, consistent with published necropsy reports from other endemic localities. Considering the histopathologic changes observed in this group, the true prevalence is likely higher and underscores the importance of heartworm prevention for the companion cat population of the island.

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