Rabbits, cats and prey-switching.

Over abundant rabbit populations lead to high densities of feral cats – and a correspondingly high impact of cats on native species, especially small mammals. What happens when rabbit numbers drop? Research to see if cats prey-switch (eat more small mammals) or if their numbers drop instead (not impacting native animals) has concluded that: Cat […]

Bilbies reintroduced into SW NSW

Thirty Bilbies from a breeding colony on Thistle Island (South Australia) have been released in a 9,570 Ha predator-proof enclosure in NSW. The feral-free reserve was established by the Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC) and the NSW government, in the Mallee Cliffs National Park. The collaborative work is a great example of landscape restoration once feral […]

Greater Bilby recovery continues

The Australian Wildlife Conservancy continues to protect Bilby habitat and promote the recovery of wild populations of Bilbies, through their efforts in conjunction with partners such as Queensland’s Parks and Forests. To learn more about the AWC program and Greater Bilbies in general, see the AWC Wildlife Matters article on ‘Australia’s ecosystem engineer: the Greater […]

Rat Spill – an invasive species case study

A tiny Alaskan island faces a threat as deadly as an oil spill – rats. However, ‘biological spills’ can be much worse than oil spills, because they don’t necessarily diminish over time. Biological pollution can adapt, self-propagate and spread, says Professor Anthony Ricciardi from McGill University, Montreal. Interesting to think of invasive species, like wild […]

Bilby recovery news

The national Bilby Recovery Plan is under review, and new research may help re-introductions in southern Australia. The Bilby was adopted as a mascot by RFA to highlight the impact of rabbits on native wildlife and vegetation. According to the draft Recovery Plan for the Greater Bilby; ‘Bilby distribution is associated with an absence or […]

Vic Rabbit Action Network wins UN award.

Victoria’s Rabbit Action Network has gained international acclaim with a United Nations Public Service award, for ‘delivering more inclusive and equitable services’. The program, delivered by Agriculture Victoria, brings together whole communities – land managers, farmers, scientists, government officials and the wider community – to manage one of their most invasive species, the European wild […]

Rabbit hotspots – located by a new model of rabbit populations

Spotlight counts of rabbits from 116 sites across Australia, taken over 41 years, have enabled modellers to better understand what makes a ‘rabbit hotspot’ – places of high rabbit persistence. These areas are high priorities for well-timed eradication programs. The research team was able to use the survey data to test a new model of […]

Public engagement essential for invasive animal control

A mix of recent stories from New Zealand highlight the importance of controlling invasive species for the benefit of native plants and animals – and the importance of public engagement as part of the solution. An article in the NZ Herald begins by asking if there is any solution to the devastating problem of rabbits. […]

Controlling ferals so native plants and animals survive.

Several recent news stories highlight the importance of controlling feral animals, like rabbits, cats and foxes, in order to restore native ecosystems. Scientists have shown that invasive species are responsible for hundreds of species becoming extinct, and have concluded that removing invasive species from islands would benefit nearly 10% of the most endangered species on […]

Culling overabundant wildlife vs the alternatives

‘If overabundant wildlife populations are not reduced by some means, the result must be death by starvation or disease coupled with extensive damage to other species in these ecosystems,’ say ecologists Charley Krebs and Judy Myers. The killing of animals is abhorrent to many people, but alternative controls (e.g. capture and relocation or sterilisation) or […]