Improving our understanding of the role of predators, specifically feral cats, in small mammal declines across northern Australia is critical to the development of effective management responses.
Building on a project commenced under NERP in 2013, the responses of small mammal populations to predator (cat and dingo/dog) exclusion were experimentally evaluated at sets of paired fenced and unfenced sites in Kakadu National Park. The densities of cats and dingoes were estimated in the surrounding landscape using camera traps, and their prey evaluated through scat analysis. The findings are informing management responses to address mammal declines in Kakadu National Park specifically and northern Australia more generally.
Graeme Gillespie (Project Leader, Northern Territory Department of Environment, Parks and Water Security).