All About Controlling Wildlife

Native animals

Did you know that some “pests” are actually native animals that are being persecuted for trying to survive in their natural habitat? Despite a common belief that only introduced animals attract the death-sentence attached to being a “pest”, natives are not immune either [1].

The dingo, for example, is one of Australia’s most iconic animals. They are unique in the list of “pest” species because they were not introduced - they have been present on the Australian continent for at least 5,000 years [2]. Ever since European agricultural techniques were first introduced in Australia, governments have spent millions on “dingo control” programs [3].

Similarly, the killing of the iconic Australian kangaroo began “at exactly the same time” that kangaroos were first identified by invading colonists and shortly after, they were formally classified as a “pest” [4, 5].

Koalas, listed as “vulnerable to extinction” in parts of Australia, but this hasn’t stopped them from being considered a “pest” at times [6, 7]. During the approved culling, these animals are often euthanised [8].

Other native animals include wombats, possums, emus, and cockatoos.

Non-native animals

Of the “pests” that are not native, most are the descendants of animals who were deliberately introduced, released or abandoned -

Domestic rabbits first arrived in Australia with the European invasion of the First Fleet in 1788 [9]. Their potential to cause damage was already known when 24 rabbits were released in Victoria for hunting “sport”, and “to help settlers feel more ‘at home’” [10, 11].

Like rabbits, foxes were introduced to Australia to be hunted “for fun”. They were imported by hunting clubs as early as 1835 so colonists could “emulate English fox-hunters” [12, 13]. Some of these groups still exist across the country [14]. By 1845, a bounty had been placed on their heads [15].

Pigs were first imported to Australia as livestock by European colonists [16]. Individuals soon escaped and established wild populations across the country [17, 18].

Even though they are not native, Australia is home to the largest herd of camels in the world [19]. They were originally imported during the 19th century and were used for transport and labour [20]. Like the donkey, the invention and development of motor vehicles meant camels were no longer needed [21]. Thousands were deliberately released into the wild [22].

The methods

Many control programs do not conduct population assessments before or after killing. This limits the ability to provide reliable data on the true effectiveness of lethal control. For example, a Parks Victoria employee explained that “we don’t have a particular target [because] with pest animals it’s not about targets, it’s just about reducing as many as you possibly can” [23]. This attitude translates into a blind reliance on death as the only method of population control and ignores any of the other impacts operations may have.

The current types of control methods used in Australia include fences, barriers, and boundaries, poisoning, and hunting -

Fences, Barriers, and Boundaries

RSPCA Australia explains that though there may be some benefits to fencing, “there are also animal welfare impacts on animals on the outside of the fence”, including injury, distress and death caused by starvation, thirst or exposure. They can also “halt natural wildlife movement patterns” and impact biodiversity by reducing the possibility of animals separated by the fence from interacting [24]. Studies have also found that the barrier “has altered the ecosystems of Australia’s outback” and caused significant ecological ripple-effects [25, 26].

Poisoning

In Australia, poisons are used to kill animals considered to be a threat to agriculture [27]. One of these poisons is sodium fluoroacetate, commonly referred to as compound 1080 or simply ‘ten-eighty’, is “one of the most toxic substances” known to exist anywhere in the world [28]. It is so noxious that there is no known antidote [29, 30]. Lethal to all air-breathing animals, 1080 poses a threat to any animal unlucky enough to “take the bait” – including companion animals and native species [31, 32, 33]. According to the RSPCA, the symptoms of 1080 poisoning include anxiety, frenzied behaviour, hypersensitivity, failure to respond, retching, vomiting, screaming, shaking, uncontrolled urinating or defecating, convulsions, fits, seizures, difficulty breathing, coma and death [34].

Shooting

There are two main types of shooting practiced across Australia: ground and aerial. Ground shooting is widely used across the country to kill a range of species, including donkeys, camels, goats, horses, pigs, foxes, birds, rabbits, deer and dingoes [35, 36]. It is carried out by official government control officers, landholders and professional or licenced shooters across the country [37]. Aerial shooting involves the use of firearms from helicopters. It is most often used to kill horses, donkeys, goats, camels, and pigs after other methods, such as trapping and mustering, have been applied [38].

Recreational Hunting

Recreational hunting is usually justified by claims that it removes unwanted wildlife, including “pest” animals from the environment and aids or enhances other conservation efforts [39, 40, 41, 42]. Studies have found “insufficient evidence to support or disprove arguments that contemporary recreational hunting programs are effective at controlling introduced mammal populations” and that current programs “offer little” to prove its value as a control tool [43].

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Ethical Alternatives

For some time it has been widely acknowledged that over-reliance or dependency on one control technique or strategy, such as poison baiting using 1080, is “unwise” [44]. There is a growing push for the development of humane alternatives [45, 46]. Experts ask why we continue to invest billions of dollars into using the same techniques we have used for decades “when a more proactive and natural alternative exists” [47]. In some instances, the solution is nature itself. It is argued that “the dingo is in fact a sorely under-utilised weapon in our feral-animal arsenal” [48]. Experts cite the lower levels of other animals, particularly smaller introduced predators like foxes and cats, in areas where dingoes are abundant [49, 50]. In other situations, we can implement Trap-Neuter-Release, or sterilisation programs [51].

Animal Liberation’s Stance

Animal Liberation promotes the adoption of the 7 principles of ethical wildlife management. These principles were developed in response to opposition to current control techniques and the fact that “commonly used control actions are inhumane, ineffective or not based on scientific evidence” [52].

Meet Kang

In May 2019, a tiny two-day-old Sambar deer fawn, arrived at Liberation Sanctuary with his umbilical cord still attached. From the moment he was placed in the comforting arms of the sanctuary owner, Patty, he was finally safe. For Patty, it was love at first sight and she named him, Kang.

Kang is a real-life Bambi. A hunter found him lying next to the body of his mother, who had been shot (not by them). The hunter felt sorry for the fawn and took him to a wildlife sanctuary. Unfortunately, they are not legally allowed to care for deer because they are an introduced species, and doing so means they would lose their license. Of course, they wanted him to live and this is how Kang found his way to Liberation Sanctuary.

Patty knew nothing about raising a fawn, so she had to learn a lot very quickly. Luckily, Wombaroo sells deer milk replacer, and this helped Kang grow into the strong healthy havier (castrated male deer) he is today.

Little Kang never made any noise, only a tiny faint ‘ick’ sound if it was feeding time and he hadn’t been fed yet. And even this noise you could hardly hear. During her research, Patty discovered that this is because fawns are called ‘stash animals’, which means the mother deer hides her baby while she goes off to feed to reduce the risk of predation. The babies only suckle twice a day, every twelve hours and spend the rest of their time laying in the nest being very quiet so they do not attract predators. After 3-4 months, they wean themselves but continue to stay with their mother for 2 years. This was very different from the lambs Patty was used to caring for, as they are very vocal when they are hungry and suckle more regularly!

Kang had to be neutered, for a few reasons. Largely, to keep him safe and prevent any pregnancies, but also to reduce aggression, prevent antlers from growing, and stop the rut period adults go through. A rut period is when males leave their scent to attract females. Heartbreakingly, Sambar deer are hunted in the area and hunters often use dogs to track their scent. To reduce the chances of Kang being shot, he wears a bright coloured neck scarf.

Kang formed a strong bond with Rosie, one of the rescue dogs. They love each other and can often be found grooming and licking one another.

Both roam freely around the Sanctuary and have beds on three of the porches. Patty said that when Kang was smaller, he would come inside through the doggie door and sleep on her bed.

Kang is extremely friendly and loves to greet the Sanctuary visitors. If he’s not frightened by the person he will give them a ‘nose breath’, which is when he touches his nose up near theirs and sniff their breath. Kang and Patty do this every day, it’s their normal greeting and show of affection, just like hugging a friend.

We have a disturbing relationship with these beautiful animals – which is made even more evident by the fact that a hunter wanted to spare the babies life, after willingly taking his mothers.

Patty said her love for Kang runs deep and she would undoubtedly take a bullet for him.