Post-calici: Rabbits still a problem

Grazing by rabbits, even at post-calici densities, can still inhibit the recruitment of palatable plant species and result in more weeds like horehound; that is one of the findings of a recent project from PhD candidate Neil Ross (UNSW). Neil studied 15 long-term grazing exclosures in the NSW and SA rangelands to understand the impact […]

Unholy trinity – rabbits, cats and foxes

In a recent contribution to The Conversation, Associate Professor Katherine Moseby (UNSW) refers to rabbits, cats and foxes as an unholy trinity. Rabbits competed with native mammals for food and became food themselves for cats and foxes – inflating predator numbers and adding to the predation of native mammals. Katherine has over 25 years of […]

Wildlife recovery rides on pest control

Wildlife re-introductions to managed reserves help demonstrate what the environment was like before rabbits and feral predators were introduced to Australia. They are signposts to how we might meet the even bigger challenge of replicating that success in much larger unfenced areas.

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 […]

Are bilbies hard-wired to avoid dingoes?

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 […]