Current koala translocation policies lack an appropriate spatial framework to guide conservation actions. Herein, we outline a framework based on knowledge of population genetic structure and associated dispersal parameters estimated from molecular data. Application of the proposed framework would improve site selection for the release of translocated animals and should underpin the development of translocation strategies to support the demographic and genetic recovery of bushfire-affected koala populations and koala management more broadly. Photograph by Holger Detje (from Pixabay).

This article examined the relationships among farmers’ beliefs associated with wild pigs, their perceptions of risks and their acceptance of actions for controlling damages from pigs. Findings indicated that positive and negative beliefs about pigs were related to perceived risks and acceptability of lethal actions to control impacts. Perceived risks were also related to support for lethal control. Photograph by Thomas Metthe (Reporter-News).

Exclusion fences are increasingly used to prevent interactions between predators and assets of interest. We aimed to quantify the interaction among factors that affect fencing efficiency. Our results demonstrated that exclusion fences can be a very effective and should be used either as a preventive measure, or when the initial predator density is very low. Photograph by DPIRD (camera trap).

We evaluated the influence of fire regimes and vegetation type on species richness and detection rate of small mammals in the north Kimberley. Low fire frequency and, to a lesser extent, presence of rainforests were associated with more diverse and abundant small mammal assemblages. These findings support the theory that disturbance regimes might contribute to small-mammal decline. Photograph by Stefania Ondei (camera trap).

The Asian water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) is an introduced herbivore of the savannas and floodplains of northern Australia. Using animal telemetry and remote sensing data, we show that buffalo clans exhibit different late dry season ecological strategies depending on whether they inhabit lowland floodplain or upland savanna. This causes different scales and types of environmental damage and should be considered when managing buffalo population densities. Photograph by Jessie Northfield.

The diet of a species is key for gaining an understanding of its ecology. We compared microscopic analysis and DNA barcoding of scats of the greater bilby, and show that the methods are best used in concert. Researchers and land managers should use both approaches to gain a robust understanding of the bilby diet, and manage landscapes accordingly. Photograph by Stuart Dawson.

Management of saltwater crocodiles in the Northern Territory is shifting from restoring depleted population to managing an abundant population through controlled harvests for commercial purposes and public safety. Simulations suggested that harvesting since protection has had no adverse impact and survival of adults has a much larger impact than egg harvest, which should be accounted for in future harvest scenarios. Photograph by Yusuke Fukuda.

The ranges of many small, at-risk felid species occur almost entirely in unprotected areas, where research efforts are minimal; hence, data on their density and activity patterns are scare. Our study aimed to fill this gap by estimating the population density and the activity pattern of Pallas’s cats on unprotected land in Mongolia by using camera-trapping: Pallas’s cat density was estimated at approximately 15 individuals per 100 km² and activity pattern varied with the seasons. We make recommendations for implementing future surveys on this small cat. Photograph by Claudio Augugliaro.

The impact of aerial baiting for wild dogs on female spotted-tailed quolls and their young was examined at two field sites in New South Wales. More than half of the adult quolls that were collared interacted with 1080 baits, but none was killed. There were also no obvious adverse effects on young. These findings parallel those of previous experimental studies that have shown negligible population-level impacts of aerial baiting on the species. Photograph provided by Gerhard Körtner and taken by a Reconyx PC800 camera trap from within the Byadbo Wilderness study site in southern New South Wales, Australia.