Feral Animals
Feral animals pose a serious threat to our biodiversity. Here in the Clarence Valley, invasive pest species such as pigs, foxes, cats, Indian mynas and cane toads are impacting our native wildlife, crops, livestock, and natural ecosystems.
What are feral species and why are they a problem?
In Australia, the term feral animal generally refers to a non-native or introduced species that has established in the wild and negatively impacts our biodiversity. Feral species are often descended from domesticated animals. In contrast, an invasive species may be either introduced or native. They are species that occur beyond their normal distribution, and may also have negative environmental impacts.
Feral animals, often referred to as pest species, disrupt ecosystems and impact native species through predation, competition for food and shelter, degrading habitat, and by spreading diseases. Cats, feral and roaming pets, kill over 2 billion native animals each year. Destructive pests such as pigs, foxes and rabbits also impact, crops and livestock.
Feral Pest Management
Clarence Landcare works with partner organisations to mitigate the impacts of feral pest species. We obtain funding to undertake on-ground control measures and run community workshops to enable landholders to manage pest species on their land.
Advice and information about pest management are available at our Grafton office. There are also documents available to download from our Resources page.
Check out our News and Events page for any upcoming workshops or information days.
Jeremy Hynes on Unsplash
Ayush Sharma on Unsplash
For more information and reporting
To help safeguard our biodiversity and aid in the control of feral and invasive species it is important to report them. Below are links to sites where you will find information about some common pest species and how to report sightings and activity.
Pigs, Foxes, Cats, and many other pest species
Cane toads
https://www.feralscan.org.au/toadscan/default.aspx
Indian (Common) Mynas
https://cvcia.com.au/indian-mynas/
https://www.feralscan.org.au/mynascan/
Red Imported Fire Ants
Prevent the spread of fire ants
https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/dpi/bfs/insect-pests/rifa
National Fire Ant Eradication Program
Projects
Endangered coastal emu protection
Feral pigs are having a devastating impact on the declining population of coastal emus. Clarence Landcare has partnered with the Maclean Lions Club Environmental Group to raise community awareness and take direct action toward protecting this threatened species.
Learn more about the ecology and plight of coastal emus on our Threatened Species page.
Delivery: 2024-2025
Funded By: Hawks Brewery
Cane toad control
Clarence Landcare has been at the forefront of cane toad control efforts in our region since 2018. Read more about how we undertake this important work on the Cane Toad Control page.
Delivery: 2018-2024
Funded by: State Government agencies