Interactions between feral cats, foxes, native carnivores and rabbits in Australia
The success of feral animal control operations aiming to benefit native species can be affected by interactions between pest species, and between pests and native species. Through the Australian Government’s $3 billion Natural Heritage Trust, the Department of the Environment and Heritage is working to develop and implement coordinated actions to reduce damage caused by feral animals to the natural environment.
A report investigating ‘Interactions between feral cats, foxes, native carnivores and rabbits in Australia’, prepared by the Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research, is now available. The report reviews evidence of the interactions between three pest species – feral cats, foxes and feral rabbits, their control and the impacts on native species.
The report highlights that while existing data is limited, there is some evidence of direct interactions between cats and foxes, control of feral predators providing benefits to native mammal species, and links between fox and rabbit population dynamics in arid areas. It was also found that in the absence of rabbits, feral cats and foxes tend to predate on the next most abundant prey species, and there is no evidence of an increase in predation on threatened species.
The report recommends areas for future research, which would ultimately assist conservation managers in planning pest control work.
The report is available at:
www.deh.gov.au/biodiversity/invasive/publications/interaction/index.html
