Home ranges of rusa deer (Cervus timorensis) in a subtropical peri-urban environment in South East Queensland
Matt Amos A * , Anthony Pople A , Michael Brennan A , Darren Sheil B , Mark Kimber C and Anthony Cathcart C
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, 41 Boggo Road, Dutton Park, Qld 4102, Australia.
B Moreton Bay Regional Council, 2 Hasking Street, Caboolture, Qld 4510, Australia.
C Sunshine Coast Council, 1 Omrah Avenue, Caloundra, Qld 4551, Australia.
Australian Mammalogy 45(1) 116-120 https://doi.org/10.1071/AM21052
Submitted: 22 December 2021 Accepted: 29 May 2022 Published: 11 July 2022
© 2023 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing on behalf of the Australian Mammal Society.
Abstract
Wild rusa deer (Cervus timorensis) are increasing in numbers and distribution in peri-urban eastern Australia. To effectively manage rusa deer, land managers need to know the extent of their movements to determine the appropriate scale of control through trapping and shooting. We found that in a subtropical peri-urban environment in South East Queensland, four rusa deer (three male, one female) with GPS collars annually ranged over areas of <400 ha with core areas of ~100 ha over a period of 10–17 months. Our limited data indicated their relatively small home ranges varied little in size and location from season-to-season, suggesting that these deer can be effectively managed at the local level.
Keywords: Brisbane, deer management, exurban, kernel density estimation, minimum convex polygon, ranging behaviour, satellite telemetry, site fidelity, space use.
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