Peter McGlone
It is the first publication of its kind in Australia, designed to help people identify, report and to take direct action in monitoring and managing feral animals. It is relevant to a broad range of community groups and individuals – from landcare volunteers, farmers and landowners to recreational fishers and shooters, professional pest controllers, field naturalists, bird watchers and bushwalkers, through to environmental consultants, botanists, forestry workers guides and park rangers.
Feral Animals of Tasmania
Since the introduction of foxes and gambusia into Tasmania over the last 10 years, there has been growing concern in Tasmania about the impacts of feral animals and a growing community interest and effort to help control them. While there has been a plethora of books, brochures, posters and web sites available to assist community members and professional land managers in controlling weeds, there was very limited information available on feral animals within Tasmania. Now that has changed.
Feral Animals of Tasmania is an innovative new publication designed to improve the community’s knowledge and understanding of feral animals, and to encourage the community to become involved in reporting and managing them.
It is the first publication of its kind in Australia, designed to help people identify, report and to take direct action in monitoring and managing feral animals. It is relevant to a broad range of community groups and individuals – from landcare volunteers, farmers and landowners to recreational fishers and shooters, professional pest controllers, field naturalists, bird watchers and bushwalkers, through to environmental consultants, botanists, forestry workers guides and park rangers.
Greater community awareness and reporting will ultimately result in improved management decisions and better outcomes for Tasmania’s native fauna and flora, as well as for agriculture and other industries.
Feral Animals of Tasmania is modelled on the popular Weedeck and comprises a pack of cards bound loosely with a metal caribina. It is pocket-sized and water resistant making it easy to carry and use in the field. The caribina binding allows pages to be added or removed as information changes or new species profiles are produced.
The front of each card or species profile includes full colour pictures and a description to help identify the species. The back of the card provides more detailed information covering the history and current distribution of the species, its known impacts, current management and sources of further information. A grey coloured section advises what action you can take, including phone numbers for reporting sightings, as well as relevant legal information.
Through consultation with many of Tasmania’s experts in feral animal management the authors have created a priority list of 27 terrestrial and freshwater feral animal species, which have all been included in Feral Animals of Tasmania.
A critical element of this publication is that the species included in it have been assigned to one of three priority categories, with each category having a very different management response. They are divided into three categories and are colour-coded in order of priority.
– Highest priority (red): unwanted in the wild and to be eradicated from Tasmania, e.g. fox, gambusia, Indian myna.
– Second priority (orange): unwanted in the wild but can only be feasibly/efficiently eradicated or controlled from specific areas around special values, e.g. cat, rabbit.
– Third priority (yellow): wanted in the wild but within defined managed areas, e.g. deer, trout.
Animals that are currently not found in Tasmania, but which have the potential to cause significant ecological damage if they become established, have been included in Feral Animals of Tasmania. One such example is the Indian Myna (populations introduced in the past have successfully been eradicated), Oriental Weatherloach and Redclaw Crayfish. Because eradication is achievable while populations are small and when they are discovered early, the help of a vigilant community in early detection is invaluable.
With regard to game species – deer and trout – the guide conforms with current State Government guidelines and legislation.
