Improving the management of feral cats is paramount for the conservation and recovery of many threatened Australian mammals. This study found that the efficiency and effectiveness of Eradicat® baits in the Southern Jarrah Forests of Western Australia were low. We provide recommendations for improvements within an integrated and holistic invasive animal management framework to deliver better biodiversity conservation outcomes. Photograph by Marika Maxwell/DBCA.

Warning:This article may contain images, names of or references to deceased Aboriginal people.

The Nyangumarta people consider the wartaji (dingo) to be culturally significant and essential for maintaining a healthy Country. Nyangumarta Indigenous Protected Area (IPA) rangers and university-based researchers collaborated in a project designed to address the community’s desire to learn more about the wartaji and to build the capacities of the rangers for ongoing wartaji monitoring and management. The wartaji project highlighted the importance of First Nation groups developing and addressing their research priorities. It also underscores the ability of IPA-managed lands to facilitate these conservation-related decisions and actions. Photograph by Jessica Bolton.

This article belongs to the Collection Indigenous and cross-cultural wildlife research in Australia.

Our old people taught us how to recognise tracks and scats of different animals. Looking for tracks and scats is a good way to be on Country and pass knowledge from older to younger people. If we search for animal signs regularly, we can collect information on which animals are present, and whether their numbers are going up or down. In this project, we come together to talk about our animals and the bigger picture of what is happening in the desert.

Pitjantjatjara: Nganaṉanya nintiringi Aṉangu puḻka tjuṯangku tjina munu kuna tjuṯa ngurkantankunytjaku. Animal kutjupa tjuṯaku. Ngurintjaku tjina tjuṯa munu kuna tjuṯa panya ngurangka munu ma-nintitjaku Aṉangu puḻka tjuṯangka tjitji tjuṯakutu. Panya nganaṉa ngurkantanyi nyanga palunya tjananya munula mantjlpai animals nyaa: tjuṯa nyinanyi kuwari tjinguruya tjuṯaringanyi manta mankuraringu. Ka project nyangangka nganaṉa ma-ungkupai tjukurpa Tjuta. Kutjupa tjuṯa picture puḻka nyakuntjikitjangku. Nyaanganyi animal tjuṯa nganampa ngurangka. [Translated by Jeanie Robin.]

Pintupi Luritja: Ngunampa kapali tjumuku ngunanya nintinu tjina kuna mituntjaku kukaku. Nangunyi tjinaku kunaku ngunampa ngurra palyalinku tinatjutanya nintitjaku wimatjutanya. Nganana nungunyi kukuku tjunguru tjuna uparing/tjunguru tjuna tjutaring. Nanana tjungurinkula wankanyi ngunampa kukatjara tjuna yaltjirinyi tjutangka. [Translated by Ebony West. ]

Photograph by Nico Rakotopare. A short video about our project can be seen here (or access the video from the Supplementary material).

This article belongs to the collection Indigenous and cross-cultural wildlife research in Australia.

Here, we integrate western and Indigenous knowledge to improve our understanding of white-throated grasswren (WTGW) distribution and habitat requirements through habitat-suitability modelling and on-ground surveys. We detected WTGWs at 6 of 39 sites. Indigenous-led fieldwork helped connect people with Country, supported knowledge exchange and active discussions around fire management to protect the species. [Photograph by Warddeken Land Management Limited.]

Bininj kunwok: Ngarridjare ngarrinan kore baleh nawu mayhmayh, kangeyyo yilingkirrkkirr, kabirrini dja kabirriyo, mak kore baleh kabirriredmarnbun. Ngad Bininj dja Balanda wanjh karrirawon kunmayali ba bu karriwernhburrbun kore baleh kunred nawu yilingkirrkkirr mayhmayh kabirridi dja kabirriyo.

Ngad rangers ngarridjare ngarriborlbme ba ngarriwernhburrbun bu ngarrinahnan nahni mayhmayh yilingkirrkkirr ba kabirridarrkiddi munguyh. Ngarri-awani nawu yilingkirrkkirr mayhmayh. Wanjh ngarringalkeng kore six kunred kabirrihdi.

Wanjh bolkkime ngarriburrbun nawu yilingkirrkkirr mayhmayh kabirrihdi kore minj karralkrung munguyh. Bu mahni ngarridurrkmirri, wanjh kamak ba bu ngarridurndeng kore kunred ngadberre, karringurlkmarren kunred dja mayhmayh mak mayh. Dja mak Balanda dja ngad nawu Bininj karrimarneborlbmerren kore karridjarrkdurrkmirri. Dja wanjh karriwokdi karrikarremarnbun bu baleh karriyimuwon bu kunak karriwurlhke, ba bu minj mayh karribun dja kabirridjaldarrkiddi munguyh

The summary spoken in Bininj kunwok is available here.

This article belongs to the collection Indigenous and cross-cultural wildlife research in Australia.

Aerial shooting is an important tool for reducing the undesirable impacts of wild fallow deer in eastern Australia and could be crucial for responding to an emergency animal disease incursion. GPS-collared deer exposed to aerial shooting showed strong site fidelity during and after shooting, and only minor, temporary changes in behaviour. We found no evidence of deer dispersing, which validates the suitability of the continued use of aerial shooting in deer management and disease control. Photograph by Lee Parker.