Dear ,
Welcome to issue 173 of Feral Flyer.
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New manual guides use of furry guardians
The Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre (IA CRC) has released a best practice guide for managing guardian dogs. The Best Practice Manual for the use of Guardian Dogs is designed to equip land managers with the knowledge to be self-reliant in livestock, natural resource and property protection against wild dogs, foxes and other predators.
The manual provides landholders with another option — beyond fencing, baiting, shooting and trapping — to assist them to protect livestock from predation. Guardian dogs have also been used successfully for wildlife protection and conservation purposes.
Click here to read the media release.
Feral Flyer readers can get a free hard copy of the manual by emailing contact@invasiveanimals.com or phone 02 6201 2887.
2010 Federal election results
Julia Gillard has won the right to remain Prime Minister and for the Australian Labor Party to form a minority government.
Assisting them to get over the line and win-over two of the three regional independents, the Labor government announced an additional $10 billion investment in what was termed ‘a better deal for regional Australia’. There is reportage of details of the announcement by farmonline. See the details here.
Genetic Structure of Feral Cat Populations on Kangaroo Island
The effective control of feral cats requires that animals are removed from the population faster than they are replaced by births and immigration from surrounding areas. Consequently, cat control programs are likely to be most effective when immigration into the control area is minimal. The Dudley Peninsula is connected to the main body of Kangaroo Island by a narrow isthmus which might act as a barrier to restrict migration. If the potential for migration of feral cats across the isthmus is relatively low, the Dudley Peninsula could be a useful management unit for feral cat control because the rate at which cats are replaced by immigration would be low.
105 genetic samples from feral cats across the island have been collected to help determine whether the cat populations on the Dudley Peninsula are sufficiently distinct from populations on other parts of the island to indicate low rates of migration onto the peninsula.
Most of these samples have been provided by community members in the form of small pieces of ear tissue cut from the carcasses of cats that have been shot, trapped or found as road kill. This project is being undertaken by the Kangaroo Island Natural Resources Management Board with support from the Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre.
Locations of collected cat genetic samples on Kangaroo Island
This article was reproduced from the latest edition of NRM Notes: the newsletter from the IA CRC’s NRM Facilitator.
Contact: Andrew Bengsen: (08) 8553 4348 or email andrew.bengsen@kinrm.com.au
Web: www.kinrm.sa.gov.au
Feral ferrets on the march
Occasionally, we get some weird and wonderful correspondence from feral flyer readers and members of the community.
photo courtesy of 'Josh'
Apparently, this is the second ferret that tech-saavy ‘Josh’ has found dead in the area south of Goulburn NSW. From a mobile telephone device by the roadside, Josh submitted the image and the exact GPS coordinates of the ferret roadkill.
“The ferret is rated as being highly likely to establish wild populations in Australia,” said Dr Wendy Henderson, IA CRC’s Detection and Prevention Program Coordinator.
“Since it’s an aggressive predator, it could become a pest to agriculture, the environment and society. Many ferrets are kept as pets in Australia, and it’s really important that they don’t get established in the wild,” Dr Henderson said.
Unfortunately, we have no way of contacting ‘Josh’, as the photo and information were submitted through a mobile application. If he is reading the Feral Flyer, he should send an email to contact@invasiveanimals.com with his postal address. He certainly deserves a limited edition Invasive Animals CRC cap.
Doctors in the Invasive Animals CRC house
Three students from the Balanced Scientist program have had their PhDs conferred recently.
Dr John Abramyan’s thesis , Biology of Sex Determination and Sexual Development in the Cane Toad (Bufo marinus), has led him to the University of California Riverside to study the genome evolution of the amphibian pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, more commonly known as chytrid fungus. “It has emerged in the last two decades and is affecting amphibian populations all over the world, including Australia. Since the genome of this fungus has been sequenced, we are trying to understand its mode of pathogenicity as well as how such a fungus has evolved,” John said.
Dr Megan Barney’s thesis examined sex determination and differentiation in carp (Cyprinus carpio). CSIRO in Hobart have just extended her contract for another year. “This work is along the same lines as my PhD but I am now more involved in the development and screening of constructs to be used in the model species zebrafish and also in carp themselves.” Our best wishes also go to Megan for her wedding in the Cook Islands during October.
Dr Maija Marsh started her job as a Conservation and Land Management Adviser with Natural England as she was completing her thesis, which looked at the transmission and effectiveness of RHDV infection in rabbit populations at different spatial scales. “I think that my PhD helped me to get this job because during the fieldwork period in Australia I gained experience in working with farmers and landowners… rabbit management issues also crop up every now and then, and my expertise on this can be useful!” Maija looks after more than 20 Sites of Special Scientific Interest in North Lincolnshire. “My job is to make sure the sites are protected and their biodiversity is enhanced through positive management.”
The next editions of Feral Flyer will feature stories on some of our other ‘balanced scientists’, such as Andrew Bengsen and his work on Kangaroo Island and Tarnya Cox, who has submitted her PhD and begun work with Animal Control Technologies in Victoria.
Wildlife Genetics Short Course – enrol now!
The Invasive Animals CRC, in conjunction with the Institute for Applied Ecology, will be running a two day short course in Wildlife Genetics at the University of Canberra 7th-8th October 2010.
The course is aimed at those currently working in ecology or wildlife management who have an interest in incorporating a genetic aspect into their work. Participants are not expected to have any prior knowledge of genetics.
During the course, we will cover the types of biological questions that can be addressed using genetics and the key aspects of designing a genetic study, including how to collect, store and transport samples for genetic analysis. Participants will learn about the different types of genetic markers and the types of studies for which these markers can be used. We will also provide opportunities for participants to discuss and work on their own project ideas during tutorial sessions.
The cost of the course is $600, which includes two days of lectures and tutorials, course notes, tea, coffee and lunch during the course and a group dinner on the night of the 7th October. Participants will need to arrange their own travel and accommodation.
to enrol in the course, contact Dr Anna MacDonald: anna.macdonald@canberra.edu.au or phone (02) 6201 5410 by Wednesday 15 September.
IA CRC office under attack
Under guidance of property services, office administrator Kate Lawrence returns to the front-line for supplies.
Staff at the IA CRC headquarters have now returned to their office, following the rather ironic incidence of a feral pigeon invasion which resulted in a three week evacuation.
Prior to the evacuation, feathers were flying. Former Education Program Coordinator, Dr Thomas Heinsohn, described the situation as he was finishing work on his last day at the IA CRC:
“The feral pigeons finally broke through into our office ceiling cavity where they waged weeks of psychological operations by making us listen to avian orgies with crescendos of climactic cooing. Having tested our nerves, they then engaged in saturation poo and dander bombing through gaps in the ceiling joins – a new form of biological warfare,” Dr Heinshohn said.
Upon being notified of the incursion, University of Canberra’s property services were quick to put the premisis into lock-down while the offices were purged of the pesky pests and subjected to a thorough industrial-grade cleaning.
Read more about the case of ‘Pigeon Vs Peacock‘ on Tony Peacock’s Feral Thoughts blog, by guest author Dr Wendy Henderson. The piece provides insight into the risks posed by what some term as ‘rats of the sky’.
Northern Australian mammals in decline
Two species shown to have declined in Northern Australia: Northern Quoll (photo: Frank Woerle, AUSCAPE) and Black0footed Tree-rat (photo: Alaric Fisher). Extracted from 'Into Oblivion'.
A new wave of extinctions is now threatening Australian mammals, this time in northern Australia, according to a group of leading Australian scientists.
At the 136 sites across northern Australia that have been repeatedly surveyed since 2001, the mammal populations have dropped by an average of 75 per cent. The number of sites classified as ”empty” of mammal activity rose from 13 per cent in 1996 to 55 per cent in 2009.
Based on current trends, many native mammals will become extinct in northern Australia in the next 10-20 years, and even the largest and most iconic national parks in northern Australia will lose native mammal species.
The report recommendations stated:
“Despite much good ecological research in northern Australia, there is an urgent need for additional targeted studies, particularly in to the extent and impact of cat predation and the incidence of disease.”
The report was issued this week by the Nature Conservancy, the PEW environmental group and IA CRC participant, Australian Wildlife Conservancy.
Diary Marker: IA CRC AGM and Participants’ Committee Meeting
Wednesday 13 October 2010
Belconnen Premier Inn, Belconnen ACT
More information about the venue and program will be published in future editions of the Feral Flyer and provided directly to IA CRC Board members and participants. Interested individuals are also welcome to attend.
Suggestions for agenda items or discussion topics are welcome: contact@invasiveanimals.com
For more information and to register your interest in attending please contact kate.lawrence@invasiveanimals.com (02) 6201 2887.
Publications
NRM Notes
Issue #3 of NRM Notes features various case studies from a wide range of NRM groups including Kangaroo Island NRM, Eyre Peninsula NRM, and Border Rivers Gwydir CMA. Topics covered include release of the report ‘Enabling regional pest animal control‘ by Dr Lisa Robins, Pastoralist planning for wild dog management in WA, RHD-Boost projects in South Australia, Long term coordinated fox baiting and monitoring and Coordinated pest control in NSW wetlands. To subscribe, email IA CRC’s NRM Facilitator, Jess Marsh or phone 02 6391 3907.
islandNet
Issue 5 of islandNet newsletter is now available. This issue features Macquarie and Tasman island pest eradication project updates, Maremma dogs guarding Middle Island penguins, results of Pacific Invasives Initiative’s Island biosecurity training in Fiji, and much more. The newsletter is a regular update with details of recent research, publications and forthcoming meetings relevant to offshore islands. If you would be interested in joining the network, or would like to find out more, contact the IA CRC’s Detection and Prevention Program Manager, Dr Elaine Murphy.
Have you read this yet?
It has been out for a while, however the publication Bioeconomics of Invasive Species – Integrating Ecology, Economics, Policy and Management continues to be a must-read for anyone with an interest in invasive animals. Co-Editor David Lodge (from IA CRC Participant, the University of Notre Dame) is involved with our e-DNA tilapia project, led by Freshwater Products and Strategies Project Manager Wayne Fulton.
Media round-up
High stakes for exotic snakes
The federal environment department has welcomed a court decision to impose a fine on a Western Sydney man for keeping exotic snakes. The maximum penalty for this offence is $110,000 fine or five years jail. More
Farmers fear wild dogs will attack people
Across Australia farmers and landowners are increasingly fearful of the growing menace of wild dogs. They say these dogs are much bigger, more plentiful and more aggressive than dingoes. One farmer told PM of shooting an Irish wolfhound cross that weighed 76 kilograms. More
Sheep around the world at risk from predators
Wolves, coyotes, jackals and wild dogs are dining on sheep industry profits globally. Across the world, wild animal predation on sheep is a struggle, with consequences of reduced production across the world. More
Wolves and bears don’t behave well in courtrooms
The US’s Missoulian has reported that wildlife managers are now fighting to have wolves and grizzly bears removed from threatened species listing listings due to over predation on deer species and increasing attacks on domestic wildlife. More
$20k boost to develop Australia’s camel industry
Following a successful industry and landholder forum held in Alice Springs on 11-12 August 2010, Ninti One Ltd is providing $20,000 to the Australian Camel Industry Association for the development of a strategic plan to establish a strong and viable industry, providing employment for regional communities, Aboriginal people and other landholders. More
Rat Island is officially rat-free
Biologists who are restoring seabird habitat on a remote island in Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge confirmed that Rat Island is now rat-free. The report comes after two years of careful field monitoring at Rat Island, where the invasive predator decimated native seabird populations by preying on eggs and chicks. More
Giant rats (?) invade UK homes
The UK’s Sun reported homes being invaded by giant rats. The rodents, twice the size of common types, are apparently plaguing an estate in Bradford, West Yorks, often appearing in kitchens and lounges. It is feared some could be “super rats” from South America. There is a picture of a rat, a supposed three-quarters of a metre long, killed on an estate. More
IA CRC in the news
A selection of current media articles directly related to the IA CRC is available here. You can subscribe to receive updates directly to your email inbox or mobile phone, or save as a favourite page in your web browser and view at your convenience. This feed can also be provided to third parties without the risk of copyright breach.
Upcoming conferences
For more information on these and other events, please see details on our website.
2010
- Farming Ahead 2010 Conference. Sydney, Australia, 21-22 September.
- Australian Rangeland Society 16th Biennial Conference. Bourke, Australia, 26-30 September.
- Australasian Wildlife Management Society Symposium. Sydney, Australia. 20-21 October.
- Australasian Wildlife Management Society 2010 Conference. Torquay, Victoria. 1-3 December.
- Ecological Society of Australia 2010 Annual Conference. Australian National University, Canberra, 6-10 December.
- International Chemical Congress of Pacific Basin Societies. Honolulu, Hawaii, 15-20 December.
2011
- 2nd International Invasive Birds Conference. Cape Town, South Africa, 7-9 March 2011.
- 15th Australasian Vertebrate Pest Conference. Sydney, Australia, 20-23 June 2011.
- Biolief: Biological Invasions and Ecosystem Functioning. Mar del Plata, Argentina, 21-24 November 2011.
- International Congress for Conservation Biology. Christchurch, New Zealand 29 November-2 December.
