Successive biological controls for rabbits have been the most important factor in the recovery of sand dunes along the Coorong in South Australia. Researchers from Flinders University have recorded peaks in vegetation regrowth and dune stabilisation coinciding with various biological controls, ranging from myxomatosis (1952) and the rabbit flea (1968), to RHDV (in 1995 and […]
A cull of rabbits from the Goorooyarroo nature reserve, Canberra, is the next step in the expansion of a protected area and the reintroduction of native animals. It follows the erection of predator-proof fencing, and precedes a fox and cat control program, which will in-turn enable the extension of populations of bettong, eastern quolls and […]
A 17 km long fence across southern Yorke Peninsula in South Australia will be the foundation to a 120,000 hectare sanctuary, aimed at ‘re-wilding’ the environment. The plan involves Naturally Yorke, the South Australian and federal governments, WWF and Greening Australia in removing pests (including rabbits, cats and foxes) and reintroducing native species that are […]
Victoria’s Mallee Parks are sprouting back to life after the control of rabbits and other feral animals, thanks to a 20 year program of control and regeneration. Young pine, buloke and belah trees now grow healthy, where seedlings previously failed to survive. The parks are once more a fully functioning ecosystem, providing habitat and healthy […]
A NZ court has ruled in favour of using 1080 for pest control, over-ruling opposition on animal welfare grounds. The debate is informative to all with an interest in conservation and pest control – including rabbit control, which has long included 1080 in the measures needed for success. For more information, see Science beats superstition […]
Two recent articles suggest that bilbies can persist under low predation levels from feral cats, but the ‘threshold question’ remains open. Is there a threshold cat density above which bilbies can’t survive – and if so, what is it; and does it vary between locations? For more information, see Moseby et, al., (2018) in Austral […]
Bilbies may be more likely to avoid dingoes than cats, if their reaction to dog and cat faeces is anything to go by. Research by the University of NSW conducted in the Arid Recovery Reserve, SA, indicated that bilbies tend to avoid dogs as a result of co-evolution. For more information, see the article from […]
The RHDV1 K5 virus is beginning to take hold in the Otago region of New Zealand. Landholders are urged to take advantage and follow-up with secondary controls. For more information, see the article in The Country, NZ Herald. Photo: Otago Daily Times
Rabbits and foxes are ‘criminals of the animal world’ due to their impact on native plants and animals, according to park authorities in the Australian Capital Territory. Parks and Conservation (ACT) spend over $150,000 a year on rabbit control and are hopeful that RHDV-K5 will be active this autumn and winter. For more information, see […]