Dozens of species have been coaxed back from oblivion, with fenced havens, conserved habitat, islands and feral predator control vital.
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Articles on Feral animals
Displaying 1 - 20 of 41 articles
Culling water buffalo is expensive. What if land managers could earn carbon credits for controlling the numbers of these methane-belching animals?
Enormous cane toads in Australia are not new – but we might see even larger ones as predators figure out how to eat these introduced toxic toads.
Feral cats double the size of domestic tabbies. Cane toads with longer legs. And dingoes with flexible joints. ‘Selection pressure’ is at work on introduced animals.
Yes, the new threatened species plan is better. But it’s nowhere near enough to actually prevent Australian species from dying out
Invasive species have been invading foreign territories for centuries. By quantifying the mammoth economic impacts, we hope political leaders will start to take notice.
Ownerless cats may find it harder to find food scraps with restaurants closed during the coronavirus crisis. Given social distancing rules, is it okay to go outside to feed them?
The NSW government has announced plans to remove feral deer from its list of official game animals. With careful monitoring, the resulting free-for-all could help curb their booming numbers.
Feral horses are a clear point of division between parties in this weekend’s election. Labor has pledged to repeal the Coalition government’s bill to preserve large numbers of brumbies.
The WA government has announced plans to reclassify dingoes as no different to wild dogs - paving the way for them to be culled at will. But dingoes are unique and deserve to be recognised as such.
Feral rabbits previously exposed to myxoma virus are more likely to be killed by rabbit haemorrhagic diease, meaning that these two biocontrol agents can become even more powerful when used in tandem.
Brumbies have a devoted following among high country locals, despite the fact that they were despised by colonial settler farmers. Their mythical status today owes a lot to cultural figures such as Banjo Paterson.
Failing to cull feral horses in Kosciuszko National Park may end up promoting environmental destruction while actually increasing the horses’ suffering.
From 30,000-year-old cave paintings to The Man From Snowy River, wild horses have always been part of human culture. As Australia debates what to do with ‘brumbies’ in mountain environments, it’s time to reconsider their place.
Exotic pets may rank highly on the novelty and excitement scale, but little is known about their ownership in Australia.
Feral cats and pigs, mission grass and climate change - in western Arnhem Land, Indigenous rangers are battling many environmental threats. Through painting and performance, they are also telling ‘healthy country’ stories.
All dingoes are ginger, right? Nope. They don’t bark? Wrong again. And they’re ultimately just wild dogs? Well, that’s trickier, but for conservation purposes the answer is still basically no.
Wild dog attacks on livestock are devastating, but bounties and culling aren’t the answer.
Horses need to be removed from Australia’s mountains. The debate now is around ethics and their role in Australian culture.
The alpine landscapes of Australia’s southeast and Tasmania are home to hundreds of rare plants and animals. They’re healthy for now, but need careful looking after.
Top contributors
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Professor in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, School of Life & Environmental Sciences, Deakin University
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Professor in Terrestrial Ecology, Deakin University
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ARC DECRA Fellow, University of Sydney
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Matthew Flinders Professor of Global Ecology and Models Theme Leader for the ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, Flinders University
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Professor of Pyrogeography and Fire Science, University of Tasmania
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Associate Professor in Biological Sciences, Murdoch University
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Future Fellow, Queensland University of Technology
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Senior Research Fellow, The University of Melbourne
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Professor of Wildlife Conservation, University of Tasmania
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Senior Lecturer and ARC DECRA Fellow, UNSW Sydney
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Professor of Conservation and Sustainable Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University
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Associate professor, University of Canberra
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Associate Professor and Director, Centre for Compassionate Conservation, University of Technology Sydney
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Professor in Terrestrial Ecology, University of Sydney
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Adjunct Associate Professor, University of Canberra
