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Invasive Animals CRC home

Welcome to the Invasive Animal Cooperative Research Centre: Australia’s largest integrated invasive animal research program.

The Invasive Animals CRC creates new technologies and integrated strategies to reduce the impact of invasive animals on Australia’s economy, environment, and people. We concentrate on developing smarter tools to prevent and detect new invasions, advanced and tactical tools to strengthen integrated management strategies of carp and other pest fish, and new tools and integrated management strategies for major pests including foxes, wild dogs, feral pigs, rats and mice, cane toads, feral cats and rabbits.

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Rabbits

Rabbits - are considered the biggest problem (in economic terms), estimated to cause about $200 million damage a year.  [more]

Rabbits

Feral pigs - occupy close to 40% of mainlan­d Australia and are the next most damaging animal to our agricultural industries.  [more]

Feral foxes

Foxes - are a huge problem. The economic and environmental impact of this species is greater than any other introduced vertebrate.  [more]

carp on net_VIC DPI_cmyk2

Invasive fish - presently, there are estimated to be up to 34 established pest fish species on mainland Australia. Carp can constitute 90% of the fish biomass in some areas, and cause significant damage to aquatic habitats. [more]


Wild dog_cropped for website

Wild dogs - Australia has a significant problem with wild dogs, which are estimated to cost around $66M a year to agriculture, primarily by killing lambs and calves.  [more]



[more invasive animals]

Hot Topics and News

IA CRC Annual Report 2008-09

Our Annual Report has been submitted to the Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research.

[ Click here ] to visit the IA CRC Annual Reports page

Rabbits and wild dogs biggest feral pest cost to agriculture

A new report reveals the economic impact of rabbits, wild dogs, mice, foxes and feral pigs and pest birds is estimated at over $740 million per year.

[ Click here ] to download the full report.


IACRC awarded Caring for our Country funding

Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre has been offered $1.5 million from the Caring for our Country 2009-10 business plan competitive funding round for its $2.7 million 3 year project, "RHD Boost: Import and evaluate new RHD virus strains to strengthen rabbit biocontrol".

[ Click here ] to visit the Caring for our Country website.


New law creates springboard for feral animal problems

The new NSW Game and Feral Animal Control Amendment Bill 2009 runs the risk of increasing Australia’s feral animal populations.

The IA CRC is concerned with the new provision for game reserves to be established in NSW, where invasive game animals — many of which have been assessed by the national Vertebrate Pests Committee as ‘extreme’ risks — can be ‘housed’ and birds can be ‘released’ for private hunting.

[ Click here ] to read more.


IslandNet now online

islandNet, the web component of the CRC offshore islands network, is now live. It can be accessed via the www.feral.org.au website and contains links to resources and information. The first islandNet newsletter can also be downloaded from the site.

[ Click here ] to visit the islandNet website.


Join the RabbitScan!

RabbitScan is a world-first 'rabbit census', using a community-based approach with Google Maps technology.

We urge landholders, groups, schools, industry, business and government to participate.

RabbitScan month starts on May 1 with a target of 5000 sites across Australia.

Visit [ http://www.rabbitscan.net.au/ ] today to register and for more information.


Ferals in the classroom

Feral Focus, an online education resource for high school teachers, is now available.

The site provides curriculum based activities which address the complexities of dealing with pest animals in Australia.

[ Visit Feral Focus  ]


Foxes identified from scats collected across Tasmania

Eight individual foxes have been identified from genotyping of scats collected in Tasmania.

Five different males and 2 female foxes have been identified with 1 sample requiring further testing to determine the sex.

Dietary analysis of fox positive scats identified over 10 different animal species including ringtail & brushtail possums, eastern barred bandicoots, wallabies, mice and sheep.

[ Click here to read more - Fox Eradication Program website ]
[ Click here to go to the Tasmanian demonstration site page - IA CRC website ]

Latest media release

Media Release - Report reveals Australia's feline folly. 23 February 2010
A new report by the Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre highlights the devastating impact of feral cats on Australia’s unique wildlife. [pdf 35.2 kb]


Latest publications

Review of Cat Ecology and Management Strategies in Australia
This report, by Dr Elizabeth Denny and Prof Chris Dickman, covers cat impacts, abundance and distribution, legislation and current management efforts, techniques for control and factors limiting effective management. Published February 2010.

Pathogens in Vertebrate Pests in Australia
This report provides an overview of diseases or pathogens that have been identified in vertebrate pests in Australia; particularly feral pigs, foxes and wild dogs, feral cats, feral goats, rabbits, cane toads, rodents (feral mice and ship rats) and European carp.

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