Ensuring we protect 26 Kangaroo Island threatened species

Kangaroo Island, South Australia

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.

Conservation activities are delivered in partnership with dedicated landholders through scientific monitoring and land management. Private conservation landholders are actively involved in wildlife camera trapping and delivery of a robust threat control program to reduce feral cat predation and the spread of the root rot disease Phytophthora cinammomi.

The large wildlife camera array continues to collect valuable data on threatened wildlife species across more than 50 member conservation properties. We continue to improve our knowledge of threatened species populations, providing scientific information to support our ongoing strategic feral cat control activities and improving landholder knowledge for long term conservation commitment.

EPBC:

Endangered

IUCN:

Endangered

Threats:

Project Location:
Kangaroo Island, SA

The Project

KI Land for Wildlife have been helping to conserve remnant bushland properties for threatened species since 2018. Working with private landholders across the Western end of the island, KILFW aims to protect threatened species from feral predators whilst restoring and protecting habitat following the 2019/2020 bushfires on a unique island off the South Australian coast known for its richness in diversity.

Your support will help the KILFW team to deliver wildlife surveys, monitoring and threat reduction activities for the conservation of the islands threatened species across close to 25,000 hectares. 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.

Threats to the Species

Kangaroo Island Land for Wildlife supports landholders to protect the islands threatened wildlife species. Threats to these species include feral cat predation and habitat loss 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.

Long term monitoring helps guide threat reduction activities like feral cat control and phytophthora cinnamomi management, this makes the long-term difference for the islands habitats and species.

Approach

Support for KILFW's work to ensure its continuation 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.

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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