Declared animal pests Declared animal pests

Declared animal pests
Existing animal pests
Animal Pests
of South Australia
Dingo/ Wild Dog
Red Fox
Vulpes vulpes
What you need to know
Feral Deer
Feral Camel
Canis lupus dingo
& hybrids
eg. Red Deer
Cervus elaphus
Camelus dromedarius
Introduced animal pests pose a major threat to agriculture,
the environment and public safety in South Australia. This
brochure explains landowner responsibilities and methods
for controlling some of our worst pest animals. It also identifies
some Alert Pest animals – serious pests not currently present,
but which are at risk of establishing in South Australia.
Common Myna image by Andrew Tatnell
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Widespread across state;
not Kangaroo Island.
Kills lambs, goat kids & poultry;
serious wildlife predator.
Control by coordinated baiting,
shooting & den fumigation.
Native animal north of Dog Fence;
declared pest south of fence.
Serious threat to sheep industry.
Illegal to keep as a pet.
Control by coordinated baiting,
humane traps & shooting.
Northern & western sandy deserts
& adjacent pastoral stations.
Damages native vegetation,
waters, fences & infrastructure.
Control by mustering or
coordinated aerial shooting.
Six species in agricultural areas:
Fallow Red Rusa Sambar Chital Hog.
Competes for livestock pasture;
damages vegetation; traffic hazard.
Control by coordinated aerial
& ground shooting.
European Rabbit
Brown Hare
Feral Goat
Feral Pig
Oryctolagus cuniculus
Lepus capensis
Capra hircus
Sus scrofa
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Widespread across state;
not Kangaroo Island.
Damages crops, pasture
& native vegetation.
Control by coordinated baiting,
warren ripping & fumigation.
Widespread in agricultural areas;
not Kangaroo Island.
Damages crops, pasture
& native vegetation.
Control by spotlight shooting;
guard tree seedlings.
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Rangelands south of Dog Fence
& scrub in agricultural areas.
Competes for livestock pasture;
damages native vegetation.
Control by coordinated mustering,
trapping & shooting.
Murray, Cooper & Diamantina
Rivers; western Kangaroo Island.
Damages livestock pasture, crops,
native vegetation & wetlands.
Control by coordinated aerial &
ground shooting, baiting & traps.
Declared animal pests
Alert animal pests
Impacts of Pest Animals
Introduced animal pests cost South Australian agriculture
millions of dollars in damage, lost production and control
efforts. Rabbits damage sown crops and, with other
introduced herbivores, compete with domestic livestock
for pasture. Foxes and wild dogs prey on livestock
causing severe losses especially to the sheep industry.
Animal pests also cause incalculable damage to the
natural environment. Rabbits and other introduced
herbivores over-graze and prevent regeneration of
native plants threatening individual plant species and
reducing pasture availability for native herbivores.
Rabbits also support large populations of foxes and
feral cats. Foxes have been implicated in the extinction
of almost 30 native mammals from mainland South
Australia and continue to threaten many more.
Common (Indian)
Myna
Red-whiskered
Bulbul
Indian Ringneck
Parakeet
Five-lined Palm
Squirrel
Acridotheres tristis
Pycnonotus jocosus
Psittacula krameri
Funambulus pennanti
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Introduced pests cause a range of other problems. Deer
and other large herbivores are a road hazard. Rabbits
and hares damage revegetation and amenity plantings
and foxes chew holes in irrigation pipes. As well,
introduced pests can act as reservoirs for serious exotic
diseases including Foot and Mouth Disease and Rabies
that might enter Australia. Dealing with wild pest
animal populations increases the complexity and cost
of eradicating exotic diseases.
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Chocolate brown; white windows
in wings; yellow bill & behind eye.
Walking gait; feeds on ground.
Noisy, backyard & biodiversity pest.
Spreading west across Victoria
towards South-East & Riverland.
Small with erect black crest;
white cheeks & throat.
Active & noisy.
Nuisance pest of east coast
gardens & orchards.
Prohibited in SA.
Spice Finch
(Nutmeg Mannikin)
Effective control of pest animals by all landowners is the
key to reducing their impacts.
Lonchura punctulata
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Image by Daryl Panther
Chocolate brown & white
sparrow-sized finch.
Common cage bird
in eastern states.
Competes with native birds.
Prohibited in SA.
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Long-tailed, green parrot;
red bill; loud ‘kee-ak’ call.
Black & pink collar in males.
Common cage bird;
occasional escapes occur.
Competes with native birds.
Rat-sized squirrel with bushy
banded tail & striped back.
Lives in trees;
prefers palms & pines.
Nuisance backyard pest.
Prohibited in SA.
House Crow
Red-eared Slider
Cane Toad
Corvus splendens
Trachemys scripta elegans
Bufo marinus
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Differs from all black native crows
by smaller size & greyish neck.
Occasionally enters Australia
aboard ships.
Serious commensal pest.
Look out for at shipping ports.
Red behind eye; yellow stripes on
head & legs; domed shell.
Escaped populations in
interstate wetlands.
Competes with native tortoises.
Prohibited in SA.
Large & warty; sharp eyebrow
ridge; poison glands behind eyes.
Occasional stowaways to SA via
pot plants, furniture & produce.
Potential to invade SA via far
north-east river systems.
Declared pest animals
Declared pests
State Alert pest animals
All landowners in South Australia have a legal
responsibility to manage pest animals declared
under the Natural Resources Management Act 2004.
Declaration places restrictions on the movement,
keeping, sale and release of some animals. It may also
require landowners to control or destroy declared
pests on their property or to notify authorities about
their presence.
It is important that landowners be aware of their
responsibilities regarding pest species that occur
on their land. The following notes outline the legal
requirements for managing eight of South Australia’s
most serious declared pest animals (high-lighted in
blue overleaf). In addition to the following restrictions,
no declared animal may be wilfully released
from captivity.
Landowners are required to be aware of declared
pest species on their properties and take appropriate
measures to control them. A property management
plan incorporating a pest animal control calendar is
a good way to meet your responsibilities. For example,
the best time to control rabbits by baiting is in late
summer and early autumn when their numbers are
least, breeding has ceased, food is declining and the
rabbits are hungry. This is followed by ripping all
warrens then fumigating any burrows that re-open.
Red Fox – must not be moved, kept or sold across
whole of state. Landowners required to control. Notify
NRM board & destroy on offshore islands.
Contact an Authorised Officer at your regional
NRM board to assist you with developing a property
management plan to manage the pests on
your property.
Dingo & dingo crosses – must not be moved, kept
or sold south of the Dog Fence. Landowners are
required to destroy south of Dog Fence.
European Rabbit – wild rabbits must not be moved,
kept or sold. Landowners required to control.* Notify
NRM board & destroy on offshore islands (excluding
Wardang Island). Domestic rabbits must not be moved,
kept or sold on Kangaroo Island.
Brown Hare – must not be moved, kept or sold on
offshore islands. Notify NRM board & destroy on all
offshore islands.
Feral Camel – must not be released from captivity.
Feral Deer – take prescribed measures to control.
Notify NRM board & destroy on offshore islands. Must
not be moved, kept or sold on offshore islands without
a permit.
Feral Goat – take prescribed measures to control. Must
not be moved, kept or sold on offshore islands without
a permit.
Feral Pig – must not be released from captivity.
* Contact NRM board regarding control of rabbits
on adjoining roadsides.
Image by Peter Bird
This pamphlet is intended as a guide to pest animal regulations in
South Australia under the Natural Resources Management Act 2004.
It does not replace the Act and should not be relied upon as a legal
document. Declarations and regulations change from time to time.
State Alerts are potential new pests. They are not
present in the wild in SA, but pose a high risk of
establishing with serious consequences for agriculture,
the environment and public safety.
These include major international pest species such as
the Common (or Indian) Myna and Cane Toad which
have wild populations interstate and occasionally turn
up in South Australia and the House Crow which does
not occur in Australia but sometimes arrives here
aboard visiting ships.
It is important that landowners are familiar with State
Alert pest animals to enable timely eradication of any
outbreaks before they spread. Report all suspected
State Alert pest animals to your regional NRM board.
Potential new pests
Many exotic animals pose a high risk of becoming new
pests in Australia. Without controls over their keeping
and importation, some would inevitably escape due
to poor security or accidental or deliberate release and
establish new populations.
Animals such as lagomorphs (e.g. North American
cotton-tail rabbits), rodents (e.g. hamsters), mustelids
(e.g. stoats and weasels) and most exotic reptiles and
amphibians are considered to pose such a serious threat
that they are prohibited from being imported into
Australia for the pet trade.
The entry, movement, keeping, sale and wilful or
negligent release of high risk exotic declared pest animals
without a permit is illegal. Severe penalties apply for
some offences under the NRM Act.
In general, purposes for which permits may be granted
for high risk species include research and development,
conservation in accordance with national plans, and
public education. These species can only be kept in
high security zoos and research facilities which meet
strict criteria.
Contact your NRM board for help
Contact your NRM board for help
South Australia’s NRM boards
Contact your regional Natural Resources Management
(NRM) board office for further advice on pest animals
and their control.
Adelaide & Mount Lofty Ranges NRM Board
www.amlrnrm.sa.gov.au
Email: [email protected]
Adelaide (head office) 8273 9100
Gawler 8523 7700
Lobethal 8389 5900
Willunga 8550 3400
Alinytjara Wilurara NRM Board
www.awnrm.sa.gov.au
Email: [email protected]
Adelaide (head office) 8357 3880
Ceduna 8625 3706
Adelaide & Mount Lofty Ranges
Alinytjara Wilurara
Eyre Peninsula
Kangaroo Island
Northern & Yorke
South Australian Arid Lands
South Australian Murray-Darling Basin
South East
Eyre Peninsula NRM Board
www.epnrm.sa.gov.au
Email: [email protected]
Port Lincoln (head office) 8682 7555
Tumby Bay 8688 2610
Elliston 8687 9330
Streaky Bay 8626 1108
Ceduna 8625 3060
Wudinna 8680 2653
Cleve 8628 2077
Whyalla 8640 3480
Kangaroo Island NRM Board
www.kinrm.sa.gov.au
Email: [email protected]
Kingscote (head office) 8553 4300
Northern & Yorke NRM Board
www.nynrm.sa.gov.au
Email: [email protected]
Crystal Brook (head office) 8636 2361
Riverton 8847 2544
Minlaton 8853 2795
Orroroo 8658 1086
South Australian Arid Lands NRM Board
www.saalnrm.sa.gov.au
Email: [email protected]
Port Augusta (head office) 8648 5977
South Australian Murray-Darling Basin
NRM Board
www.samdbnrm.sa.gov.au
Email: [email protected]
Murray Bridge (head office) 8532 1432
Berri 8582 4477
Burra 8892 3033
Lameroo 8576 3400
Mt Barker 8391 7500
South East NRM Board
www.senrm.sa.gov.au
Email: [email protected]
Mt Gambier (head office) 8724 6000
Information on animal pests can also
be obtained from:
Biosecurity SA
www.pir.sa.gov.au/biosecuritysa/nrm_biosecurity
Email: [email protected]
Adelaide 8303 9620
Photo credits key:
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Daryl Panther
Peter Bird
Scott Jennings
Philip Stott
Rob Sleep
Robert Henzell
Invasive Animals CRC
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Toby Roscoe, Australian National
University Myna Project
Jay Yeung
J. M. Garg
Petri Pietilainen
Cyril Laubscher
D. Gordon E. Robertson
WA Dept. Agriculture & Food