An Ecological Interpretation of The Historical Decline of The Brush-Tailed Rock-Wallaby Petrogale penicillata in New South Wales.

Abstract

Widely based historical research was conducted in an attempt to construct a timetable of the decline in the abundance of the Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby Petrogale penicillata in New South Wales. The discovery of 24 new locality records extended its historical range to the coast and provided greater continuity in its distribution than previously recorded. Historical references indicate that P. penicillata was abundant last century but it had declined in most districts by 1915. Protection was declared in 1908 at Bombala and Cooma, in 1912 at Braidwood and in 1913 at Picton and Hartley. Intense hunting pressure on P. penicillata, which resulted in some local extinctions, generally preceded and overlapped with its decline. Hunting for bounties was largely replaced by hunting for the commercial fur trade, which continued until at least 1927. At least 144,000 P. penicillata skins were sold in the 1890s, when their price was lowest. The fox Vulpes vulpes arrived well after the onset of the period of prolonged and sustained hunting pressure, but was in some areas from 7-16 years before P. penicillata was officially declared protected for that area. The time interval between the year when 100+ fox bounties were first paid in the district to the year when P. penicillata was locally protected varied from 5-10 years. Both of these periods of overlap are likely to be overestimates. This paper identifies the extent and relevance of commercially driven hunting to the early and steep decline of P. penicillata in NSW. Concurrent arrival of rabbits, together with the fox and possibly goats, is likely to have contributed to the decline and suppression of P. penicillata populations.