Removing the last 1% of a mainland predator population: evaluating a novel approach

Predator eradication programmes fail, in part, because bait-shy and trap-shy individuals evade traditional control measures. Our previous research has shown, however, that these shy individuals are still willing to cautiously sample novel baits and lures - although their caution leads to sublethal dosing and failure to trigger traps.

Recently, we tested the hypothesis that pre-feed baits containing a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant can trigger reward-seeking behaviours that overcome shyness. For the approach to be practical, several criteria need to be met: the stimulant needs to be stable in a cereal or paste matrix; the pre-feed is palatable; and a short series of exposures to pre-feed will increase the target species’ behavioural drive. This presentation summarises tests of three potent CNS stimulants on the responses of ship rats and brushtail possums to control devices.

Presenter: Graham Hickling

#pestcontrol #possums

Видео Removing the last 1% of a mainland predator population: evaluating a novel approach канала Bioeconomy Science Institute