{"id":33063,"date":"2025-07-30T18:24:08","date_gmt":"2025-07-30T18:24:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/33063\/"},"modified":"2025-07-30T18:24:08","modified_gmt":"2025-07-30T18:24:08","slug":"warning-over-invasive-predator-boom-with-aussie-rangers-working-around-the-clock","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/33063\/","title":{"rendered":"Warning over invasive predator ‘boom’ with Aussie rangers ‘working around the clock’"},"content":{"rendered":"

Rangers say they are \u201cworking around the clock\u201d as one Aussie state braces for an invasive<\/a> predator \u201cboom\u201d following recent wet weather.<\/p>\n

While the rainfall in Outback Queensland<\/a> has been a much-needed boost for all creatures across the food chain, it has also set the scene for populations of feral cats and foxes to explode, according to the state\u2019s Department of Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation (DETSI).<\/p>\n

In an attempt to curb their expansion and protect critical habitats where \u201can amazing array of wildlife\u201d reside, rangers have been been putting \u201ccontrol measures\u201d in place at various national parks to help \u201cknock down predator pest numbers\u201d and give native animals<\/a> a chance to \u201cbreed up\u201d.<\/p>\n

Diamantina, Currawinya and Astrebla national parks, as well as Taunton National Park (Scientific), are home to threatened species, including the critically endangered bridled nail-tail wallabies and greater bilbies. They also have less tree cover than other protected areas in the state.<\/p>\n

\u201cPest predators will particularly target babies and young and can have dramatic impacts on population numbers,\u201d Pest Management Ranger Stuart said on Wednesday.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve also been monitoring and tracking their movements to get a better understanding of cat and fox behaviour so we can continue to tailor and adjust control methods for maximum effectiveness.<\/p>\n

\u201cFeral cats and foxes don\u2019t keep to regular work hours, so Rangers have been working around the clock in order to make our pest control efforts as effective as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

Queensland\u2019s control methods include baiting, trapping and humane ground shooting. Earlier this year, DETSI announced the launch of a new culling program aimed at reducing the growing population of feral cats in rural areas.<\/p>\n

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There are fears feral cats could push threatened native species like the greater bilby (left) to the brink of extinction. Source: Barry Nolan\/Queensland Government<\/p>\n

Feral cats and foxes continue to threaten native species<\/p>\n

Feral cats<\/a> and red foxes<\/a> are some of Australia\u2019s worst invasive predators and have contributed to the country\u2019s status as having the worst mammal extinction rate in the world.<\/p>\n

Together, they\u2019ve helped drive over 25 native species to extinction, and continue to threaten more than 100 others \u2014 including small marsupials, ground-nesting birds, and reptiles \u2014 many of which occur nowhere else in the world.<\/p>\n

Feral cats are considered one of the most damaging invasive species in Australia. Estimates suggest they kill more than a billion native animals every year. Their economic impact is also staggering, with research revealing that feral cats cost the Aussie economy around $1 billion a year, including expenses for control efforts, ecological damage, and biodiversity loss.<\/p>\n

Foxes were first introduced in the 1860s for recreational hunting<\/a>, but their numbers have since exploded across the country, largely due to a lack of natural predators and an abundance of prey.<\/p>\n

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Farmers and hunters across the country are trying to limit the damage foxes cause to the environment. Source: WA Feral Animal Service\/Facebook<\/p>\n

Similarly to cats, they prey on native wildlife, but also affect agriculture by attacking livestock and poultry. While they\u2019re often less numerous than their feline counterparts, foxes can be just as ecologically destructive in areas where native species haven\u2019t evolved sufficient defences.<\/p>\n

They are also becoming increasingly prevalent in urban areas, with one man recently detailing his late-night encounter with a fox in a suburban Sydney parking lot<\/a> to Yahoo News.<\/p>\n

Major national park hazard to tackle ‘big threat’<\/p>\n

Like all states and territories, NSW is trying to curb its growing fox population, with authorities warning residents this week to be vigilant as they prepare to commence an expansive fox baiting program at national parks and reserves<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cInvasive species are one of the biggest threats to native plants and animals and cause extensive damage to the environment, along with billions of dollars\u2019 worth of damage to Australian agricultural production each year,\u201d a National Parks and Wildlife spokesperson told Yahoo, adding that \u201csodium fluoroacetate (1080) is the most effective landscape fox control method\u201d.<\/p>\n

They said extensive research has shown that native animals \u2014 including lace monitors, quolls and birds \u2014 have a high tolerance to 1080 at the concentrations used to control foxes.<\/p>\n

Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

You can also follow us on Facebook<\/a>, Instagram<\/a>, TikTok<\/a>, Twitter<\/a> and YouTube<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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