The Western River Refuge, an Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC), Kangaroo Island Land for Wildlife (KI LfW) and private landholder jointly managed property, now protects over 369 hectares of critical habitat for threatened species. The refuge is also helping save Australia’s most endangered mammal, the Kangaroo Island Dunnart (KI Dunnart).
The partnership between AWC, KI LfW and local landholders (the Doube family) constructed the 8.8km long feral-predator fence in the Western River area of Kangaroo Island. AWC and KI LfW feral animal control land managers have also been working together to control feral cats since the end of January 2020.
The project has received generous financial support from AWC’s New South Wales based partners, WIRES Australian Wildlife Rescue Organisation, and international grant-maker, Fondation Segré.
The Western River Refuge will help protect one of Australia’s most endangered mammals: the Kangaroo Island Dunnart.
“The bushfires were devastating and destroyed so many critical habitats leaving our wildlife threatened and vulnerable,” Allard said. “As Kangaroo Island Land for Wildlife had already undertaken extensive planning for the construction of the Western River Refuge, we were able to quickly establish a 13.6-hectare feral predator-free exclosure, which, thanks to the support of the Australian Army and many volunteers, was constructed in a record six weeks.”
Species set to be protected by the Wester River Refuge include (L to R) the Glossy Black Cockatoo, Western Whipbird, Heath Goanna.
Some of the other fire affected priority species being protected by the Wester River Refuge include: endangered Kangaroo Island Echidna, vulnerable Bassian Thrush, near-threatened Western Whipbird, vulnerable Heath Goanna, endangered Southern Emu-wren, and endangered Southern Brown Bandicoot.
Feral cats are the major cause for mammal extinction in Australia and their occurrence on Kangaroo Island is a significant threat to local wildlife. The bushfires have left them even more vulnerable with the loss of vegetation and habitat to take shelter in. AWC research has shown that native animals are more susceptible to predators in the aftermath of intense fires, and that cats can hunt more efficiently in post-fire landscapes. Around Australia, cats kill around over one million native mammals, two million reptiles and one million birds every night.
The recent report of the inquiry into the environmental impact of feral cats by the House of Representatives Standing Committee on the Environment and Energy said: “Predator-free fencing is considered an effective technique against feral animals and provides native animal populations with a safe and secure environment within which to be reintroduced without the threat of predation.”
https://www.australianwildlife.org/kangaroo-island-wildlife-refuge/