From the untouched, rugged west end of Kangaroo Island (KI) to the coastal habitats and unburnt remnant woodland safe havens, KI Land for Wildlife (KI LFW) have been helping to conserve remnant bushland for threatened species since 2018 across close to 25,000 hectares.
Ensuring we protect 26 Kangaroo Island Threatened Species
Kangaroo Island, South Australia
EPBC:
EndangeredIUCN:
EndangeredThreats:
Project Location:
Kangaroo Island, SA
The Project
Working with private landholders across the western end of the island, KILFW will continue to deliver wildlife surveys, monitoring and threat reduction activities for the conservation of the islands threatened species. In addition, philanthropic support will protect wildlife and habitats on private bushland properties, engage with landholders, the community and students, increasing knowledge in threatened species conservation for long-term protection.
Why we need to act
In the time since Kangaroo Island separated from mainland Australia over 10,000 years ago, many species developed into their own local sub-species (variants to today's mainland species that are unique only to the island). If Kangaroo Island's unique biodiversity is not protected, these sub-species may be lost forever.
Threats to the Species
Threats to Kangaroo Island's wildlife species include feral cat predation and habitat loss, including from the devastating root rot disease phytophthora cinnamomi. Both of these threats are recognised nationally within threat abatement plans and are listed as major threats to biodiversity across Australia.
Solution and approach
KILFW's continuing work, covering close to 25,000 hectares, includes:
Camera trap monitoring and feral cat control activities using the established Encounter Solutions Celium™ trapping network, and Felixer Grooming trap management. This will protect wildlife species from predation pressure and improve ecosystem function for long term conservation of KI’s threatened wildlife and their critically important habitats.
Conducting wildlife surveys.
Monitoring the spread of the root rot disease Phytophthora cinammomi.
Consulting with landholders to protect wildlife and habitats on private land and bushland properties, including the allowance of trapping and monitoring systems on their properties.
Engaging with community and students to increase knowledge in threatened species conservation for long-term protection.
Aftermath of the 2019/2020 Bushfires
The 2019/20 Black Summer bushfires devastated the biodiversity of Western KI and the habitats and wildlife are still recovering with monitoring ongoing so that pest management can continue for habitat and wildlife species survival.
Conservation efforts by KILFW were a critical part of the emergency response to the wildfires, and remain incredibly important to ongoing post-fire conservation of species.
When fires burns dense vegetation, ground-dwelling mammals, like the KI dunnart; birds, like the bassian thrush; and reptiles, are left exposed and highly vulnerable to predation by feral cats. In the wake of the wildfires, KILFW worked with landholders and the KI community to reduce the impacts of predators to protect vulnerable wildlife species in areas where natural habitat protection was removed by the fires. KILFW addressed these immediate threats by installing shelter tunnels, nest boxes and ramped up feral cat control and phytophthora cinnamomi management across critical private bushland properties and continues to do so today.
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