Evaluation of olfactory and visual cues to deter southern hairy-nosed wombats (Lasiorhinus latifrons) from their burrows
Casey O’Brien
A D , Elisa Sparrow B , Ron Dibben C , Bertram Ostendorf B and David Taggart B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A School of Biological Sciences, Benham Building, North Terrace Campus, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia.
B Department of Environment and Water, 81–95 Waymouth Street, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia.
C Ancient Order of the Wombat Catchers, 6 Marsh Avenue, Gawler, SA 5118, Australia.
D Corresponding author. Email: casey.obrien@adelaide.edu.au
Australian Mammalogy 43(1) 110-119 https://doi.org/10.1071/AM20007
Submitted: 31 January 2020 Accepted: 17 December 2020 Published: 20 January 2021
Abstract
Human–wildlife conflicts threaten a huge diversity of species and affect the livelihoods of millions of people. There is an increasing need to develop management strategies that meet the needs of humans and wildlife. A variety of conflict mitigation measures are available, but for many species like the southern hairy-nosed wombat (Lasiorhinus latifrons) their effectiveness has not been scientifically tested. Deterrents could provide a cost effective and efficient means of reducing wombat damage to agriculture. Anecdotal accounts suggest that ‘Blood & Bone’ (a plant fertiliser) and compact discs may deter wombats. This study aimed to assess their effectiveness in deterring free-living wombats from burrows on agricultural land using remote cameras to monitor changes in activity and behaviour before and after treatment application. Mixed-effects models revealed a significant decrease in the number of visits to burrows following the application of compact discs (P < 0.01). ‘Blood & Bone’ did not deter wombats from burrows (P = 0.81), but increased exploratory behaviour (P = 0.01) and decreased travelling behaviour (P = 0.05) were observed. This suggests that visual cues may be more effective in deterring wombats from burrows than olfactory cues, possibly because they are more easily detected from further away.
Keywords: coexist, deterrent, human–wildlife conflict, Lasiorhinus latifrons, repellent, southern hairy-nosed wombat, wildlife management.
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