Warru Recovery Team Progress Report 2013 - 2015...Warru Recovery Team Progress Report 2013 - 2015 An...

Warru Recovery Team Progress Report 2013 - 2015

An initiative of the Australian Government, Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources, Alinytjara Wilurara Natural Resources Management Board, Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara, Zoos SA and Ecological Horizons.

Recovery of Petrogale lateralis MacDonnell Ranges race in South Australia

Anangu Pitjantjatjara

Yankunytjatjara

This document is a progress report for the Warru Recovery Project – and outlines the activities of the Warru Recovery Team (WRT) over a three year period from 1 January 2013 to 31 December 2015.

The WRT is a partnership which began in 2007 between the Federal Government, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (SA), Alinytjara Wilurara Natural Resource Management Board, Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY), Monarto Zoo, Zoos SA/ Conservation Ark, University of Adelaide and Ecological Horizons Pty Ltd.

Copies of this report may be obtained by contacting Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Land Management.

For further information please use the contacts below.

On-grounds management and Warru Ranger engagement Luke IrelandAPY Land Management -Warru Project [email protected]

Captive breeding and veterinary servicesAlthea GuinsbergMonarto Zoo - Team Leader, Natives and [email protected]

Dr Liberty OldsZoos SA - Conservation Manager [email protected]

Research, monitoring and Recovery Team information

Dr John ReadEcological Horizons Pty [email protected]

Dr Rebecca WestUniversity of New South [email protected]

1Warru Recovery Team Progress Report

IntroductionWarru (black-footed rock-wallaby, Petrogale lateralis MacDonnell Ranges race) have contracted dramatically in range and abundance over the past 80 years. As a result they are classified as endangered in South Australia and vulnerable across Australia. In South Australia, the remaining populations occur in the Aboriginal owned and managed Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands. In early 2016 warru were identified amongst the 20 priority mammals species in the Australian Government Threatened Species Strategy.

The Warru Recovery Team (WRT) was formed in 2007 with the overarching vision of recovering populations of warru in South Australia and providing training and employment opportunities for Anangu, the traditional owners, landholders and community members of the APY Lands.

The WRT’s work is guided by the objectives and actions outlined in the South Australian Warru Recovery Plan (WRP, Read and Ward 2011), formally launched in December 2011. Central to the WRP are two themes:

a. Warru conservation is currently and will in the future play a critical role in providing training and employment opportunities for Anangu, as well as strong connections to historical and contemporary Tjukurpa.

b. The management, research and cross-jurisdictional initiatives described and costed in the WRP are intended to facilitate tangible, positive environmental change at a landscape scale across the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands.

Ongoing implementation of the WRP will be the foundation of success of warru recovery.

In order to assess and communicate the progress of the WRT in implementing the plan, this is the third progress report produced by the WRT, combining activities across three years 2013-2015.

2 Warru Recovery Team Progress Report


Executive summary2013 - 2015Many activites were undertaken from 2013-15, including:

• Establishment of Anangu field officer positions for east (Ethan Dagg) and west (Jacob McKenzie)

• Implementation of supplementary feeding trials in the Tomkinson Ranges

• Commencement of professional ground shooting of predators in the vicinity of all warru colonies

• Further warru surveys and installation of additional scat monitoring quadrats at 4 Tomkinson Ranges localities

• Supplementary release of an additional 6 Monarto-born warru to the Pintji

• Recruitment of at least 22 warru to the Pintji population

• Improved buffel grass management including herbicide trials, SA weed declaration of buffel grass and considerable Anangu awareness of buffel grass spearheaded largely by the WRT

• Captive and pintji management of SA warru as a single population following genetic analyses

• Establishment of a reintroduction subcommittee and progress on selecting a release site and also sourcing wild caught MacDonnell Ranges animals for co-release with Pintji warru

• Rebecca West completed her PhD in November 2013 titled ‘Reintroduction as a tool for the recovery of warru on the APY Lands’

• Governance of the Warru Recovery team transitioned away from AW NRM into a model with greater responsibility by APY Land Management and independent WRT members

Climate during the reporting periodThe years 2012 to 2015 generally experienced lower than annual rainfall following the high rainfall period of 2010-2011 (Figure 1). Observations of defoliated figs and spearbush at Kalka in 2015 suggest that these dry conditions were at least as severe as in the Musgraves (where the rainfall was recorded). Lower rainfall can place warru into dietary stress, resulting in declining population size (potentially experienced at Kalka) but may also be benficial to warru through reduction in predators and competitors (especially kanyula as has been experienced at New Well).

Figure 1. Annual rainfall (mm) recorded at Pukatja (Station #016097, Bureau of Meteorology) from 2000 - 2015.

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GovernanceWarru Recovery Team meetings 2013-2015Regular WRT Annual General Meetings have been held since the team was formed in 2007. Other meetings have been less regular since AW NRM (represented principally by Matt Ward) stood down from chairing the WRT in March 2014. The WRT acknowledge the pivotal role played by Matt Ward in establishing and chairing the WRT in its formative years. Along with in kind contributions from each of the participating organisations, the bulk of the funding for WRT activities in the reporting period was derived from a Working on Country grant from the Australian Government managed by APY Land management. Membership of the WRT and staff involved with the Warru project are listed in Appendix A.

Meeting date Key discussion points Key actions

June 2013 - Monarto breeding plan - Ethics application - Plan logistics for July trapping

27th February 2013 - AGM Yulara - Bec West presented revised genetics data

- Does Kalka population require supplementation

- Unanimous, should now interbreed captives from 3 source locations

- Conduct trapping & camera surveys at Kalka to determine population viability

- Need at least 2 TOs who can speak for each metapopulation

- Develop TOR for WRT

31st March 2014 - AGM Umuwa - Matt Ward stood down as chair

- Reduce New Well trapping to biannual and remove collars

- Matt Ward to prepare paper on WRT requirements

- Contact NR re translocations - Monarto to review genetics

11th September 2014 - APY capabilities re WRT etc - Translocation from Monarto to Pintji

- Matt Ward to write discussion paper - APY to prepare scoping document on capabilities

7 September 2015 - APY capabilities re WRT etc - Translocation from Monarto to Pintji

- JR chair (JM vice) , KH secretary with help from BW and LO

- Establish translocation subcommittee - Prepare education and awareness plan - Prepare 2.5 year ‘annual’ report

Table 1. Summary of key discussion points and actions from WRT meetings in 2013 to 2015.


Management and monitoring programOnly two extant metapopulations of warru are currently known in South Australia – in the Eastern Musgrave Ranges and the Tomkinson Ranges of the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands. A population of captive-bred warru from Monarto Zoo was reintroduced to a predator-proof enclosure in 2011. This exclosure, known as the warru pintji (fence), is located near Donald’s Well and is adjacent to the known Musgrave metapopulation. The WRT’s management and monitoring activities for each site (i.e. Musgrave Ranges, Tomkinson Ranges and the warru pintji) are outlined in the below sections.

Figure 2. Map of warru sites in the Musgrave Ranges where monitoring and/or management is conducted in relation to Pukatja (closest community).

Warru recovery – Musgrave RangesThe Musgrave Ranges warru metapopulation is known to occupy approximately 640km2 within the Eastern Musgrave Ranges, extending approximately 16km west of Pukatja to 10km north of New Well. Four known warru colonies are currently monitored and/or managed as part of the Warru Recovery Plan (Figure 2). Management activities for this population are summarised in Table 2.


Recovery action Frequency Description

Feral carnivore controlAerial baiting

June 18, 2013 and June 10, 2015 4500 Eradicat® baits were dropped across an area of approximately 200km² including New Well, Alalka and Kaanka Mangka.

Feral carnivore controlGround baiting

Monthly from Jan – Mar 2012. Fortnightly from Feb 2013 until mid

2014.

34 bait stations around the perimeter of New Well. Eradicat® baits buried at each location and checked approximately 14 days later. 10 out of 34 of these stations monitored by remote camera.

Feral carnivore controlShooting

Three times a year since 2012 Graham Miller from Feral Solutions typically spends 7-10 days shooting with rangers around warru colonies

Feral plant control Opportunistic Small scale buffel grass management around New Well involving burning followed by herbicide application.

Animal track monitoring (tjina ngurini)

Approximately monthly until 2013 6 transects around New Well. Each 200m length is walked and the presence /absence of native and feral animal tracks recorded.

Warru scat quadrats Biannual 24 scat quadrats of 1m radius at the main New Well outcrop. 10 scat quadrats at New Well North.

Warru trapping 2013 and 2014 Free feeding is followed by 4 nights of trapping in winter each year. 20 traps at the main New Well outcrop, 6 traps at New Well Far West, 5 at Kaanka Mangka and 9 traps at Alalka. Trapping was moved to every alternate year as of 2014

Warru radiotracking/survival monitoring (warru kulini)

Weekly in 2013 and 2014 Warru at New Well (n = 10), New Well Far West (n = 2) and Kaanka Mangka (n = 2) were collared with VHF radio collars. Collars were removed from all warru in 2014

Table 2. Summary of management and monitoring activities in the Musgrave Ranges 2013-2015

Feral carnivore control and monitoringEradicat bait trial

One or two Eradicat baits were placed in front of 12 camera traps around New Well for 6 monitoring periods from 5/3/2013 until 19/2/14 to determine bait uptake by target and nontarget species. The animal responsible for removing baits was only confirmed on three occasions: a dingo took a bait from Station 4 on 5/6/2013 and a cat took both baits from Station 7 on 24/5/13 and 28/5/13. Dingoes were photographed at or investigating the baits on 17 other occasions in 2013 and 4 occasions in 2014, cats were photographed at bait stations without taking baits on 8 occasions in 2013 and goannas (tingka), donkeys and euros (kanyula) also occasionally investigated and may have taken the cat baits. The animals responsible for taking other baits could not be confirmed by the camera data.

Although the data are inconclusive due to the number of times a bait was taken but not captured on camera, it appears that baits are seldom consumed by either cats or dingoes, even when they are encountered. Continued suppression of fox numbers does however suggest that baiting with 1080 baits (fox baits or Eradicat baits) may be successfully limiting fox numbers, which were previously consistently recorded at New Well prior to commencement of baiting. Highest consumption of baits at the commencement of winter is consistent with other studies that show predators are hungriest and most susceptible to control when reptiles have become inactive and juvenile rabbits are not widely available.


Spotlight shooting

A feral predator spotlight shooting program commenced in June 2012, when large numbers of feral cats were observed despite poison baiting. Since then, seven feral predator shooting sessions have been conducted by Graham Miller (Feral Solutions) and rangers around the known warru colonies in the Musgrave Ranges:

2013 (May, June, and September): 22 days, shot 50 cats and 1 fox 2014 (May and September): 7 days, shot 2 cats, 1 fox 2015 (May and November): 9 days, shot 6 cats, 1 fox, 7 rabbits

Analysis of cat gut content by John Read of Ecological Horizons has revealed the presence of animals such as small birds, mice, snakes, lizards, rabbits and insects, as well as grass. In 2015, hair, jaw and paw of warru were confirmed by Rachel Paltridge (Desert Wildlife Services) from a number of cats. Remains of warru were found inside four cat guts, plus another fresh and partly eaten adult warru carcass was found at the site where another cat was shot at Kaanka Mangka on 24 May 2015.

Partly eaten and still warm warru carcass found at location where a cat was shot at Kaanka Mangka in May 2015.

(Photo: Ethan Dagg)

The paw of a juvenile warru retrieved from the gut of a cat shot at New Well on 18/5/15. Warru remains were found in 3 other cats shot during the monitoring period.

(Photo: John Read)

The total number of feral species shot in 2013, 2014 and 2015 is shown is Figure 3. Only one fox was shot in each year. The location where feral cats were shot during 2013, 2014 and 2015 are shown in Figure 4.

Figure 3. Total number of feral species shot in 2013, 2014 and 2015.

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The location where feral cats were shot during 2013, 2014 and 2015 are shown in Figure 3. Only one fox was shot in each year. Figure 4 shows the total number of feral species shot in 2013, 2014 and 2015.

Figure 4. Location where feral cats were shot during 2013, 2014 and 2015

Tjina ngurini / Track monitoring

Presence and absence of animal tracks around the base of New Well has been recorded to determine long term trends in species presence around the known warru colonies in the area, as well as to determine the impact of feral control methods.

Fourteen tracking monitoring sessions were conducted in 2013 (n = 84 transects), eight in 2014 (n = 48) and thirteen in 2015 (n = 13). A higher proportion of transects have shown the presence of cats and dingoes in 2015 in comparison to 2014 and 2013 (Figure 5). Fox tracks were only rarely seen and only in 2013. Despite the regular poison baiting, dingo tracks are regularly detected at New Well.


Figure 5. Proportion of total transects on which tracks were found at New Well.

Warru scat quadrats and spotlight surveys

Ecological Horizons Pty Ltd has been conducting long-term biannual warru scat monitoring and spotlight surveys since 1998. Spotlight surveys take place around the base of New Well with scat quadrats located at New Well and New Well North and Kalka. Below are extracts from the November 2015 report.

New Well

Counts of scats in quadrats (Figure 6) and spotlight observations around New Well colony suggest that the warru population has started to recover in the past year or so from historical lows. Five warru were recorded from the spotlight circuit around the colony in November 2015, the equal highest count since 2003 (Figure 7). Juvenile warru scats were recorded from five quadrats in November 2015. Counts of kanyala scats and animals by spotlight at the main New Well outcrop suggest a continued decline from the high counts of March 2013 to November 2015 (Figures 6 & 7) and warru scat counts are now more than double kanyula counts. This decline suggests that kanyula are more sensitive to dry conditions than warru. Rabbit numbers have also declined over the past 2 years, even though they were easier to spotlight in November 2015 than at any other time since monitoring commenced (Figure 7). Termites have removed virtually all dry grass (except for Triodia and buffel grass) around New Well.

Figure 6. Average accumulation of scats collected from 24 quadrats during each biannual scat count from New Well for both Warru and Kanyala for the period 1998 - 2015.

Kanyala (Euro)

Papa inura (Dingo)Cat

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Tarkawara (Spinifex hopping mouse)

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Figure 7. Spotlight counts of warru, kanyala, rabbit, dingo, fox and cats observed during one night sampling (count) and opportunistically over approx 48 hours (incidental) at New Well 2001 – 2015.

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New Well North

Scat quadrats were established in this area in 2007 and 2008. Although a warru was observed, fresh warru scats were recorded from only 7 of the 10 scat monitoring locations at New Well North in November 2015, with total scat counts declining from the record levels detected in 2014 (Figure 8) as conditions have dried.

Figure 8. Average daily accumulation of warru scats from New Well North quadrats 2008-2015.

Warru trapping

Trapping occurred in July 2013 and July 2014 at New Well (20 traps), New Well Far West (5 traps), Alalka (9 traps) and Kaanka Mangka (6 traps) in the Musgrave Ranges (see Figure 2). In both years three nights of free feeding followed by four nights of trapping were conducted at each site. Trapping did not occur at any sites in 2015, following a Recovery Team decision at the annual general meeting in March 2014 to reduce trapping of in situ populations to every second year. As a result of this decision all individuals trapped with collars in 2014 had their collars removed.

Captures at New Well were the highest on record in 2013 and 2014 (total 37 individuals both years) with captures of new individuals at 32% and 40% respectively (Figure 9). Trap effort at New Well has been consistent since 2010 so the increase in captured individuals may indicate the start of population recovery (Appendix B). Female breeding rates remained high in both years at 95% in 2013 and 83% in 2014, suggesting the potential for continued population increases if juveniles are successfully recruited.

Trapping was reinstated at Alalka in 2013 after seismic activity in 2012 prevented trapping. Capture rates remain lower at Alalka than the peak in 2009 although 100% of adult females were carrying pouch young and new individuals are still being recruited each year (Figure 10).

The known population of warru at Kaanka Mangka has increased from a single male trapped in 2010 to 12 individuals in 2014 (Figure 11). A third of the captures in 2014 were previously marked warru which is a positive sign that a warru population is successfully establishing at this site. Warru on the western side of the New Well hill have persisted and increased, with previously marked individuals continuing to be caught at that site since we first started trapping in 2011 (Figure 12). During 2015 additional trapping nights were conducted to retrieve a VHF collar from an animal that was not caught in the 2014 session. A total of 9 captures were made in 2015 with three of these new individuals.

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Figure 9. Warru captures at New Well 2005-2014.

Figure 10. Warru captures at Alalka (2005-14).

Figure 11. Warru captures at Kaanka Mangka 2010-2014.

Figure 12. Warru captures at New Well Far West 2011-2014.

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Fire management

In 2013, ground-based control burn was conducted in the area west to New Well. Burning from helicopter was conducted at the same time from approximately 2 km north of this area. In 2014, burning was only conducted on ground. In 2015, no fire management was planned for this area. Figure 13 shows the locations of on-ground burning in 2013 (in red) and 2014 (in yellow). [Note: GIS data for helicopter burning are not available for this area. The information was provided by Warru East Field Officer Ethan Dagg].

Figure 13. Map of New Well region where on-ground burning was conducted in 2013 and 2014

Warru recovery – Tomkinson and Hinkley RangesWarru are now monitored at five locations in the west APY lands (encompassing the Tomkinson Range and the Hinkley Range) (Figure 14). The largest of these colonies occurs in the boulder-piles, cliffs and gorges on two sections (Maku Valley and Mutata Scree) of a large hill north of Pipalyatjara known as Dulgunia Hill. The Hinkley Range was extensively burnt in 2013, after which the small surviving populations were assisted with supplementary feeding. Management actions for these warru colonies are summarised in Table 3.

Figure 14. Locations of known warru colonies in the Tomkinson Ranges (in relation to Pipalyatjara community) which are monitored and managed as part of the Warru Recovery Plan



Feral plant control Intermittently Small scale buffel grass management involving burning followed by herbicide application.

Animal track monitoring (tjina ngurini)

Weekly 27 quadrats around the base of Dulgunia hill (Jan 2012-Dec 2014). 5 quadrats at Maku Valley (August 2012 – March 2013). Presence /absence of native and feral animal tracks recorded.

Feral Predator control (shooting)

3 times a year Graham Miller (Feral Solutions) typically shoots cats and foxes with warru rangers for 2-3 nights, three times a year

Warru scat quadrats Biannual 13 x 1m scat quadrats across the Kalka Hill. 2 scat quadrat monitoring sites in the Hinkley Range (established late 2011). New quadrats installed at 4 Tomkinson range colonies in 2015

Warru trapping 2013 and 2014 3 days of free feeding is followed by 4 nights of trapping in winter each year. 18 traps are established, 12 at Maku Valley and 6 at Mutata scree

Remote camera monitoring at warru feeders and water points

Quarterly Feeders (kangaroo pellets) and poultry water feeders are placed in suitable caves at Maku Valley – 2 feeders; Mutata Scree - 2 feeders, 2 water points; Hinkley Range; 2 feeders, 2 water points. All monitored by remote camera.

Warru radiotracking/survival monitoring (kulini)

Fortnightly in 2013 and 2014 In 2013, 5 warru were fitted with GPS collars, these were collected in 2014. All collars were removed in 2014.

Table 3: Summary of warru management and monitoring activities for the Tomkinson Ranges in 2013-15

Spotlight shooting

During 2013 – 2015 spotlight shooting was conducted in around Tomkinson Ranges. A total of 10, seven and four cats were shot in 2013, 2014 and 2015 respectively. Four foxes were shot in 2013 and three in 2015. The higher ratio of foxes to cats at Tomkinson Ranges compared to Musgrave Ranges likely reflects the lack of baiting, which is more effective for foxes than cats, in the Kalka area, Despite being present, no rabbits were shot in this area. Figure 15 shows the total number of feral species shot in 2013, 2014 and 2015. Figure 16 shows the location where feral cats were shot during 2013, 2014 and 2015.

Figure 15. Total number of feral species shot near Kalka in 2013, 2014 and 2015.

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Figure 16. Locations in the Tomkinson Ranges where feral cats were shot during 2013, 2014 and 2015.

Scat quadrats

Warru scats were counted from 13 established quadrats recorded at Kalka since 2002. Warru scat counts revealed an increase in the size and distribution of warru populations at Kalka in 2013-14, including natural recolonization of the Watertank Gorge area. However, Kalka scat counts started declining again in late 2014 and by November 2015 were roughly half the counts made in November 2014 (Figure 17), which was likely attributed to continuing and worsening dry conditions. Not only were spearbush defoliated, as reported in April 2015, but the figs had also largely lost their leaves too and there was very little forage available. Other evidence of food shortage comes from the observation that the warru feeder in Maku Valley was consistently empty at the end of each month.

Figure 17. Average accumulation of warru scats collected from 13 quadrats during each biannual scat count from Kalka for the period 1998 - 2015.

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15


Warru trapping

Trapping occurred at Kalka in Maku Valley, Dulgunnia Hill and Mutata Scree in July 2013 and 2014. Collective trap rates were lower than the peak captures of 2012 but a capture total of 19 in 2014 with 42% of captures being new individuals and a female breeding rate of 100% is good news for the Kalka colony (Figure 18). During this trapping session we also retrieved four of the five GPS collars from three males and one female warru that were fitted in 2013. The collars showed no movement off the hill and as seen in the warru at New Well, little overlap of male warru at Kalka. These data will be added to the dataset from Rebecca West’s PhD work on the warru at New Well and published as a joint paper on warru home ranges in the APY Lands.

Figure 18. Combined warru captures at Kalka sites (Maku valley, Dulgunnia Hill and Mutata Scree) from 2005-2014.

Kapi and mai / Water and feeders points

In December 2013, the “Warru Feeder and Water Stations in the Tomkinson and Hinkley Ranges: Management and monitoring guidelines” was produced. In January 2014, a total of 7 feeder points and 6 water points (1 being a spring) were set up across Maku Valley, Hinkley Ranges and Mutata Scree (Figure 19). The rangers have learnt to prepare resources, fill and record details of resources and set up remote cameras to collect data. The resources are renewed monthly. The guidelines suggested renewing resources fortnightly but this was not possible, so it was agreed that monthly renewable would be sufficient for data collection if consistent.

Most of the 6 kg of supplementary food placed at Maku Valley and Mutata Scree have been found almost empty every month. Feeder points in the Hinkley ranges are rarely empty, 2-4 kg of food are consumed each month.

Water points at all locations have been found empty at the end of each month, exceptions being during rainy periods in the Hinkley Ranges and in the spring in Maku Valley, which has been dry on rare occasions.

Data collected on remote cameras have revealed the presence of Warru pouch young at times in each of the 3 supplementary resource locations.

Cat and fox sightings at each of the 3 locations have been recorded. This information has been useful to plan spotlight shooting sessions. Kanyala (euros) have been consuming feed at one Hinkley location and are frequently seen at Ninuku (Maku Valley Spring). Papa inura (dingos) have been recorded at all except 1 of the water points. Tjulpu (birds), ngintaka (perentie), tati (other lizards) and minkiri (antechinus, native mice) have all been recorded at points.

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retrap new2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

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no trapping


Figure 19. Locations of water and feeder points around Hinkley Ranges (West), Maku Valley and Mutata Scree (East).

Tjina ngurini (Animal Tracking)

Dingoes (total of 80 records) were the most frequently recorded predator tjina on the track counts at Dulgunia Hill and Maku valley, with only 8 cat and 2 fox tracks seen from 13 surveys at Dulgunia Hill and 1 cat and 2 fox tracks recorded from 9 surveys in Maku valley. Camels were very abundant in 2012 but kanyula were the main herbivore tracks recorded after 2013. No warru tracks were detected. These Tjina ngurini plots were abandoned due to concerns that the plots were not independently located and because tracking of cats, foxes and warru is difficult in rocky substrates.

Fire management at Kalka

The west Warru Rangers did some buffel grass control burning work in Maku Valley near the community of Kalka. Buffel grass spraying as per the Maku Valley Weed Management Plan was undertaken in August, September, November and December 2015. There was some follow up buffel grass burning done in consultation with Kalka/Pip IPA staff members and APY LM Programs manager. Spot burns were done in Priority 3 zone, Priority 1 zone and the lower half of Priority 4 zone (Figure 20).

In August 2015 West Warru rangers also did some buffel grass control burning in Kalka Creek (a creek 200-500m south of the community and below the community’s water tanks). There are also some warru kuna-plots located in the rocky slopes of this creek. This burning extended 200-400m up the valley.

There was no planned fire management in 2013 around the Tomkinson Ranges. In 2014 the area around the west side of Maku Valley was burned on ground and in 2015 burning was conducted in to control buffel grass from spreading in the area (Figure 21).


Figure 20. Maku Valley buffel grass management zones.

Figure 21. Map of areas where on-ground burning was conducted in 2014 (red) and 2015 (yellow) around Maku Valley.

Warru recovery – Pintji


Warru recovery – PintjiThe warru pintji was completed in early 2011 – a 100ha predator-proof exclosure for warru built on the lands to act as a hardening off facility for captive warru. The first five captive warru were released into the pintji in March 2011. There have now been three supplementations to the pintji population with warru from Monarto Zoo. Management actions for the warru pintji are summarised in Table 4.


Maintenance Weekly The entire length of the fence is inspected on the inside and outside for holes. Mesh joins are checked, and the buried skirt is examined for wash-outs and footprints. The overhang is checked to ensure it is sufficiently floppy. Vegetation removal around the fenceline using a combination of spraying (hand and trailer) and pulling/burning.

Feral plant control Opportunistic when conditions appropriate

Buffel grass management within the warru pintji involves herbicide application and mapping. Killing of weeds along fenceline using herbicide and removal of larger plants.

Track monitoring Weekly The entire fenceline perimeter is walked (inside/outside). Presence /absence of tracks are recorded in relation to each of the major fence posts (numbered) to provide distribution data around the fence.

Trapping Biannual 21 trap sites established within the warru pintji increased to 30 in October 2015. Trapping occurred Mar/Oct 2013, Mar 14 and Mar and Oct 15.

Small vertebrate monitoring

Annual A total of 8 pitfall sites inside and another 8 outside the Pintji were trapped each April from 2012-2015 by Ecological Horizons and warru rangers

Table 4. Summary of management and monitoring activities for the warru pintji in 2013-15.

Releases

A fourth release to the pintji occurred on Saturday 18 April 2015. This release consisted of six animals - five Kalka warru and one Alalka-New Well/Kalka cross (Table 5). The aim of this release was to introduce some Kalka genetics into the pintji population and to test the feasibility of supplementing new warru to the main pen as the population density has increased significantly since the last release in July 2012. We released three warru into the main pen of the pintji (Ngankali, Arnguli, Tjintir-tjintir) and three into the medicine pen (Magpie, Kalpi, Piiny-piiny).

Tjintir-tjintir was found dead on Monday 27 April just 9 days after release into the main pen. Her carcass was wedged between some rocks and may have been an accidental death. A post-mortem was inconclusive. The gates of the medicine pen were opened 11 days after release and the rangers have documented warru moving between the main pen and the medicine pen (via remote camera and tracks). All other warru in this fourth release had continued to survive at publication of this report, with the two others released into the main pen having established home ranges on the main hill.


Table 5. Details of warru released to Pintji in April 2015.

Warru name Sex Age (Y,M) Weight at release Source population

Magpie M 2, 0 2.23kg Captive born KA/KA cross

Ngankali M 6, 10 3.24kg Cross fostered from wild - KA

Kalpi F 1, 11 2.23kg Captive born NW-AL/KA cross

Piiny-piiny F 1, 10 1.16kg Captive born KA/KA cross

Tjintir-tjintir F 1, 10 1.60kg Captive born KA/KA cross

Arnguli F 5, 9 3.29kg Cross fostered from wild - KA

Competitor control

Complete inspections of the Pintji in April 2014 and 2015 confirmed the absence of rabbits. Perenties most likely removed the last few rabbits that were sheltering under rocks.

Trapping

Trapping in the pintji occurred in March and October 2013, March 2014 and March and October 2015. In the October 2015 session an additional 9 traps were added, bringing the total traps to 30. The traps were added to extend the trap lines into new areas in attempt to trap new individuals who may be recruited to the population but pushed out of the original trapping area by resident adults. This strategy seemed to work with the highest number of new individuals caught in the October 2015 session: 11 out of a total of 31 warru. Reproduction rates continue to be high in the pintji with 85% of breeding females carrying pouch young. All five of the warru from the release in April 2015 were trapped in excellent condition with Arnguli carrying a pouch young that was born in early August, just three months after her release.

In March 2015 collars were removed from the ten warru that were released from Monarto in 2011 and 2012 as they have continued to survive in the pintji since release. The radiotracking focus is now on fitting collars to new independent warru, particularly males to better monitor their survival, movements and recruitment to the pintji population.

Figure 22. Pintji trapping results

July2011

10

0

30

20

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February2012

May2012

October2012

March 2013

October2013

March2014

March2015

October2015


Pintji small vertebrate monitoring

Eight mammal species, including the rarely seen kultarr and lesser hairy-footed dunnart along with 29 reptile species have been recorded from the small vertebrate trapping inside and outside the pintji (Appendix C). Whilst small mammals captures have not responded to exclusion of cats and foxes to date, this is expected to change once good rains increase food availability inside and predator numbers outside the pintji. Skink numbers have generally increased inside relative to outside the pintji, whereas gecko numbers have declined inside, possibly because of higher goanna numbers.

Figure 23. Captures of a) small mammals, b) geckoes and c) skinks inside and outside the pintji from 2012-15.

Tota

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Trapping team for small vertebrate monitoring inside and outside the pintji, April 2015

Checking the traps during the small vertebrate monitoring


Captive populationsMonarto Zoo

As of the 1st of January 2016, the captive warru population at Monarto Zoo totalled 6 individuals (Table 1). One of the females is from New Well, two females and one male are from Kalka. One female and one male are from captive cross-breeding of New Well and Alalka parents. There were five births in 2013 (Table 2). Delilah’s first joey was Mandy who unfortunately died at Monarto. Mandy’s joey was Tjintir Tjintir who was released in the Pintji, but was found deceased after one week. Arnguli, who was also released to the Pintji, had a diapause joey prior to release but it never emerged from the pouch.

Name Sex Source Site Source date Capture weight (g) Rearing Current

weight (kg)Estimated

D.O.B Bred*

Maureen F New Well 12/08/2007 34.3 Cross-fostered 3.9 13/06/2007 No

Langki M Kalka 2/06/2008 38 Cross-fostered 3.0 5/03/2008 Yes

Zoe F Kalka 23/07/2009 86.5 Cross-fostered 2.0 24/04/2009 Yes

Delilah F Kalka 31/08/2010 518 Hand reared 2.8 15/03/2010 Yes

Karkalaya F Monarto (Kalka) Captive n.a. Hand reared 2.6 15/08/2011 Yes

Alalka M Alalka 28/07/2011 470 Hand reared 4.7 15/03/2011 Yes

Table 6. Captive warru population at Monarto Zoo as of 1st January 2016. * during reporting period.

Table 7. Births of Warru in 2013 – 2016 at Monarto Zoo

Name Sex Sire Dame Origin Rearing Estimated D.O.B Comments

Magpie M Langki Arnguli Kalka Parent reared 01/04/2013 Returned to Pinji in 2015

Kalpi F Alalka Karkalaya Alalka/Kalka Parent reared 15/04/2013 Returned to Pinji in 2015

Tjintir tjintir F Langki Delilah Kalka Parent reared 25/05/2013 Returned to Pinji in 2015

Piiny Piiny F Ngankali Zoe Kalka Parent reared 14/06/2013 Returned to Pinji in 2015

B39127 M Langki Arnguli Kalka Parent reared 25/10/2013 Lost from pouch

PHOTOLib Source


There were a few tragic deaths over the 2013 to Jan 2016 period (Table 8). Widu, a male from New Well, had a recurrent cloacal prolapse and had to be euthanised. Kaku, a female from Alalka, died from a suspected snake bite. Mandy, a young female who’s parents were from Kalka, was found decesased in her enclosure but the post mortem did not reveal a clear indication of the cause of death.

Table 8. Deaths of Warru in 2013 – 2016 at Monarto Zoo.

Name Sex Sire Dame Origin Rearing Estimated D.O.B

Date of death Age Weight

(kg) PM results

B39127 M Langki Arnguli Kalka Parent 25/10/2013 - - - n.a.

Mandy F Langki Delilah Kalka Parent 26/11/2012 07/08/2014 1yrs 8 months 1.35

Unknown as

the joey never

developed or

left the pouch

Kaku F Wild Wild Alalka Hand 09/12/ 2007 09/10/2015 7yrs 10 months 3.27

Mild impacted

foregut at

pylorus, gas

distended SI,

firm hard pellets

in colon

Widu M Wild Wild New Well Parent 10/10/ 2006 23/07/2015 8yrs 9

months 3.65Possibly eastern

brown snake

bite

There was a successful pairing in 2013 of two Kalka animals (Langki and Arnguli), as well as having breeding between New Well and Alalka animals. Due to new genetic information obtained from Rebecca West’s PhD studies the WRT recommended that we mix genetics of the different populations and to not keep them segregated. In 2014 there was an attempt to pair a New Well female (Maureen) with a Kalka male (Ngankali) which was abandoned due to aggression shown by the male towards the female. In 2015, due to space limitations breeding warru at Monarto Zoo has been halted.

Table 9. Changes in the captive warru population 2007 – 2016 Population sizes represented by: number of males. number of females. number of juveniles (overall total).

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Population at January 0.0.0 (0)

7.6.0 (13)

11.9.0 (20)

14.14.0 (28)

13.13.0 (26)

6.10.0 (16)

4.7.1 (11)

5.9 (14)

5.8 (13) 2.4(6)

Acquisition

Births 0 0 3.3 (6) 1.0 (1) 0.2.1 (3) 0.1 (1) 1.3.1

(5) 0 0

Captures from wild 8.8 (16)

4.3 (7) 1.2 (3) 0 1.1 (2) 0 0 0 0

Total acquisitions 16 7 9 1 5 1 7 0 0

Dispositions

Deaths 1.2 (3) 0 1.0 (1) 2.1 (3) 2.1 (3) 0.1 (1) 0.1.1

(2) 0.1(1) 1.0 (1)

Releases 0 0 0 0 6.5.1 (12) 2.3 (5) 0 0 2.4 (6)

Total dispositions 3 0 1 3 15 6 2 1 7

Population at December7.6.0 (13)

11.9.0 (20)

14.14 (28)

13.13.0 (26)

6.10.0 (16)

4.7.0 (11)

5.9 (14)

5.8 (13) 2.4 (6)


Magpie, one of the young kalka males, used a rabbit hole to escape from his enclosure and to wander around the natives area. He was watched on camera traps as he moved around. The natives area is predator-proof, so he was safe to move around. He was trapped and relocated to a different enclosure that had mesh skirting.

In 2015, the six warru at Monarto Zoo, were health checked and all were deemed to be in good condition. A gradual change was introduced to their diet seeing a shift from lucerne hay to meadow hay. The lucerne hay was found to be stalky and had contributed to lumpy jaw in other wallabies species housed at Monarto Zoo.

Warru do not generally tolerate being housed with other species but warru were able to be housed with bush stone curlew without behavioural issues. However, it was discovered that Karkalaya was eating the curlew food which consisted of meat, egg and seeds. As wallabies are not able to process protein that carnivores can, blood was taken to assess her renal parameters, which showed elevated results. She was moved to another enclosure and blood sampling was repeated. Her levels returned to normal shortly after being moved.

Cheeky Karkalaya caught enjoying the curlew food (left) and Maureen using the cat grooming trap to her advantage (right).

Maureen continues her role of being ambassador for the warru and for the community. She met a range of guests through the Behind the Scenes tours of the natives area, Keeper for the Day program, as well as meeting with small school groups and volunteers. The warru keeping staff talk about the Recovery Team’s work, the APY Lands, rangers and the community, as well as Zoos SA’s contribution to the warru recovery program. Maureen was a media star when the Threatened Species Commissioner Gregory Andrews and Federal Minster of Environment Greg Hunt came to visit. She has also been pivotal in promoting the importance of warru and their journey to international guests.

The captive population assisted with trials of John Read’s feral cat grooming trap. The trap was set-up overnight to test its sensitivity to detecting the body shape of warru. Maureen used the grooming trap to her advantage to help her reach some of the plants in her enclosure that have otherwise been protected from her nibbling.

In 2014, the native keeping team at Monarto Zoo raised money by selling chocolates to staff and volunteers with the aim of raising $1200 for the radio collars. This target was reached and it was a great moment for staff when the collars arrived and were fitted on the warru for their return journey to the Pintji.


Maureen loves the camera and is a wonderful ambassador for warru both in Australia (Greg Hunt Minister for Enviroment, Gregory Andrews Threatened Species Commissioner and Tony Pasin Federal Member, top left) and internationally (Dr Laurie Marker CEO Cheetah Conservation Fund, bottom left).


Community employment, engagement and awarenessEmploymentDay-to-day management of in situ and reintroduced warru colonies in the APY Lands is the responsibility of APY Land Management. In 2013-15 the warru project employed 9 permanent Rangers and 7 Minyma pampa (senior women) to oversee the project (Table 10).

Position 2013 2014 2015Minyma Inpiti * * *Nyinguta * * *Tjariya * * *Mrs Paddy * * *

Warru Ranger CoordinatorsSimon Booth *Rachel Barr *Anna Miller * *Helen Palmer * *Kate Holmes *Warru rangersJacob Mckenzie * * *Bronson Bennet * * *Matthew Miller * * *Ethan Dagg * * *Sherada Stanley * * *Thomas Tjilya *Margaret Tjilya *Eric Abbott *Grant Nyaningu *APY Land management CoordinatorsDoug Humann * *Jen Grinrod * *Clint Taylor *

Table 10. People employed contributing to the warru project


Anangu Rangers have continued to complete training in relation to their roles during 2013-15. All rangers undertook training in first aid, GPS use, camera trap setup and computers.

West Warru Rangers attended Pipalyatjara Tafe completing the following:2013 Units completed: Develop verbal communication skills, Identify Simple Literacy Learning for a Specific Purpose, Complete Simple Forms, Basic Keyboarding Skills for ESL (English as a Second Language) Activities carried out: Created Powerpoint presentation for APYLM 'Ranger Report', emailing and attaching files, saving files to USB stick.

2014 Activities carried out: Remote Sensor Camera set-up, Scanning documents, typing up Faunatech camera instructions, saving camera photos, Emailing skills, created PowerPoint presentations on 'Pitfall trapping with Wati Wara' and 'Being a Warru Ranger'. Jacob McKenzie completed the Collision Avoidance/Defensive Driver Training Program in Ernabella.

2015 Units completed: Use computer language and perform simple computing tasks Activities carried out: Reading vehicle check form, emailing skills, Leaners licence training, body measurements using cm's, reading 24 Hour time, created Powerpoints on 'How to Trap a Warru', Feral Cats Photobook', '2015 Trapping', 2015 Warru Rangers Trip to Arid Recovery and Flinders Rangers'.

Education visits and presentationsWarru Rangers continue to emphasise the importance of sharing their roles, knowledge and warru work with school students from across the lands. In 2014 we gained a taxidermy warru mounted in a case. The warru has been named ‘Miititi’ (meaning crimson chat) by the rangers and has been a very useful educational tool. In 2015 warru rangers visited students at Pukatja and Pipalyatjara school with the specimen providing opportunity for students to see their first warru.

In addition to presenting their powerpoints made at tafe to educate kids at school about warru, feral cats and foxes and being a warru ranger talks were given to local schools (Pipalyatjara x 4, Murputja x 1), Warru rangers have also hosted work experience students and visits by Pipalyatjara and Ernabella schools to the warru colonies.

In March 2015 Warru Rangers from the east and west embarked on an educational field trip to Arid Recovery, Roxby Downs and the Flinders Ranges National Park. The Arid Recovery visit allowed rangers to see some locally extinct animals that were once present on the APY Lands. Here rangers learnt skills in trapping, spotlighting and tracking different mammal species. At Flinders Ranges National Park Warru Rangers met local indigenous rangers from that region and learnt about the successful ‘Bounceback’ program for the Yellow-footed Rock Wallaby and the Western Quoll reintroduction program. This knowledge will assist rangers with possible future reintroduction of Warru on the APY Lands.

Figure 24. School students learning about warru.


MediaThere continues to be media interest in the Warru Recovery Project (Table 11).

Table 11. Summary of media relating to warru recovery 2013 - 2015.

Media Summary TV/video Engagement with Ninti Media

Landline program focusing on buffell grassPrint/ internet Facebook posts by Threatened Species Commissioner, Gregory Andrews - ‘Great

news out of the APY lands of South Australia where the warru, or black-footed rock-wallaby, is making a comeback thanks to the Warru Kaninytjaku Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Project (Looking after Black-footed Rock-wallabies in the APY Lands).’

Radio Kate Holmes and Ethan Dagg undertook radio interviews

Research and SciencePublished articlesWest, R.S. (2014) Reintroduction as a tool for the recovery of warru (Petrogale lateralis MacDonnell Ranges race) on the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands of South Australia. PhD thesis, University of Adelaide.

Ruykys, L and Lancaster, M. L. (2015) Population structure and genetic diversity of the black-footed rock-wallaby (Petrogale lateralis MacDonnell Ranges race). Australian Journal of Zoology 63, 91–100.

PresentationsWest R.S. et al. (2013) “Monitoring for adaptive management in reintroduction of the warru (black-footed rock-wallaby)” Australasian Wildlife Management Society Conference, Palmerston North, NZ

West R.S. et al. (2013) “Supplementary water as a tool for Petrogale recovery”, Australian Mammalogy Conference, Sydney.

PHOTO


SummaryThe Warru Recovery Project is guided by the objectives, 50 management actions and research knowledge gaps set out in the Warru Recovery Plan 2010-2020 (Read and Ward 2011) and also the deliverables of the Working on Country project established to address these management actions. These guidelines set out the overarching direction of the project and can be used as an assessment of the effectiveness of the Warru Recovery Team in delivering the project.

Seven of the actions of the Warru Recovery Plan have been completed and a further 77% of the outstanding actions progressed between 2013-15 (Table 12). The captive breeding, genetics research, field monitoring, additional surveys and management of the Pintji population all progressed very well during the reporting period. Challenges were experienced in the latter half of the reporting period in holding comprehensive annual meetings and preparing annual reports, hence this report summarises outputs of two and a half years. A greater focus on discussing and explaining the role of different team members, particularly focussing on the mutual benefits and often parallel roles of the Warru recovery Team and the APY managed Working on Country project should assist in redressing these challenges.

In 2016, should see a number of new actions progress, particularly around planning for future reintroductions of warru into the wild, which will include site selection and preparation and fundraising and logistics for the first wild reintroduction of warru back into the APY Lands. This reintroduction is eagerly anticipated by all Recovery Team stakeholders and will represent a milestone achievement that will advance the recovery of this iconic species and contribute to positive social outcomes in the APY Lands.

The WRT thanks its backers and is looking forward to working together, tjunguringkunytja, in implementing the WRP in 2016 and beyond.

PHOTO

Going strongIn progressNot started42%

30%

28%


Objectives Action DescriptionSub

-actionDescription

Progress from 2012

1. Maintain the genetic diversity

and increase the distribution

and abundance of warru in

South Australia.

1.1 Implement appropriate threat abatement and monitoring and refine with added knowledge 1.1.1 Maintain predator management monitoring around existing colonies (ground-based)

1.1.2 Conduct an ongoing trial of Eradicat baits in Eastern Musgrave Ranges by July 2011 (aerial)

1.1.3 Develop and implement plan for control of large feral and superabundant native herbivores in core areas of warru range by July 2013

1.1.4 Control rabbits and rabbit warrens within a 1km buffer of the hills on which known warru colonies occur

1.1.5 Implement APY Lands Fire Management Plan (Paltridge and Latz 2010) with respect to warru habitat by July 2013

1.1.6 Encourage and support production and implementation of APY Lands Buffel Grass Management Strategy and promote state and national control initiatives

1.2 Maintain current warru monitoring regime at known warru colonies in the Eastern Musgrave

and Tomkinson Ranges

1.2.1 Conduct scat quadrat counts

1.2.2. Conduct warru trapping program

1.2.3 Conduct adult survivorship monitoring

1.2.4 Conduct warru distribution surveys

1.3 Maintain captive warru populations with genetic representation from known in-situ colonies and suitable facilities at Monarto

1.3.1 Maintain existing colony captive animals and breed captive animals for colony maintenance

1.3.2 Undertake routine or opportunistic assessment of genetic diversity in wild and captive populations

1.4 Encourage and support specific dedicated research and development projects on warru conservation ecology 1.4.1 Conduct population viability analysis for remaining metapopulations based on trapping results and survival analysis

1.4.2 Define inherent natural predator dynamics and warru population dynamics in a landscape where warru populations are apparently stable and robust

1.4.3 Determine optimum techniques for predator management (especially cats) to minimise warru predation

1.4.4 Determine influence of supplementary feeding, supplementary water and patch burning on recruitment

1.4.5 Define inherent natural warru population dynamics with respect to climate

1.4.6 Determine effect of interactions between human settlements and warru populations.

1.4.7 Determine fate of young warru through recruitment / dispersal studies

1.4.8 Examine the prevalence of toxoplasmosis and other diseases in extant warru populations

1.5 Supplement existing colonies only where appropriate 1.5.1 Define supplementation thresholds for current extant colonies

1.5.2 Conduct supplementation if population thresholds are met

1.6 Conduct reintroduction of warru into the APY Lands within former range 1.6.1 Establish and maintain genetically diverse captive breeding population of warru

1.6.2 Establish and maintain a predator-proof facility (the Warru Pintji) in the APY lands with no incursions affecting warru and conduct trial hardening-off and free-breeding.

1.6.3 Rank potential reintroduction sites and test site selection criteria (Ward et al. 2010b)

1.6.4 Implement research project to define thresholds of threats (predation) considered viable to conduct reintroductions.

1.6.5 Increase range of threat abatement, as directed by Actions 1.4.1 and 1.4.2 to maximise chances of success of reintroduction (if needed according to research).

1.6.6 Undertake cross-fostering program for warru once reintroduction sites are identified, prepared and appropriately managed.

1.6.7 Conduct hard reintroduction of warru into the APY Lands once actions 1.6.1 to 1.6.6 have been undertaken.

1.6.8 Investigate need for Warru Pintji in the Tomkinson Ranges

1.7 Support and encourage surveys of warru in adjacent ranges in Western Australia and the Northern Territory Contact key agencies in WA and NT and assist with joint grant application in conjunction with SA searches

1.8 Engage pastoral industry as potential icon species for conservation on pastoral leases within former range (i.e. Davenport Ranges).

Use results of 2.1.4 to determine potential for success of Davenport Range reintroduction, see cooperation from pastoral lessees and establish threat monitoring program

2. Community objectives are met,

and Anangu have ownership

of key WRT decisions, on-

ground actions, employment

opportunities and educational

outcomes.

2.1 Conduct regular WRT meetings 2.1.1 Conduct regular WRT meetings with land management, technical and scientific staff

2.1.2 Conduct annual WRT meetings with Anangu and Piranpa representatives and with a translator present.

2.2 Employ an iterative decision-making process for the WRT between Piranpa and Anangu members of the WRT.

2.3 Ensure all on-grounds works have an appropriate level of Anangu employment

2.4 Ensure there are at least two Traditional Owners who can speak for each warru metapopulation involved in the Warru Recovery Team

2.5 Translate Warru Recovery Plan Communicate aspirations of the WRP into Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara (support Mobile Language Group project, University of Adelaide).

2.6 Hold community meetings with relevant communities in the APY Lands to discuss the objectives and actions of the Warru Recovery Plan

2.7 Develop an agreed media protocol for the WRT 2.7.1 Determine appropriate future media opportunities which need to be pursued

2.7.2 Develop an agreement on types of media opportunities which require pre-approval

2.7.3 Develop a memorandum of understanding around process and use of images

2.7.4 Define a proper process for acknowledgement of funding bodies

3. The Warru Recovery Project

is jointly managed and

administered strategically

towards long-term visions

3.1 Update WRT Terms of Reference (2007)

3.2 Produce WRT annual report. Key stakeholders meeting to establish key performance indicators, endorsed by Warru Recovery Team.

3.3 Maintain Warru Wiki

3.4 Produce intellectual property agreement between WRT members

3.5 Develop a stand-alone funding strategy based on the Warru Recovery Plan.

3.6 Finalise memorandum of understandings between stakeholders.

3.7 Communicate Warru Recovery Plan with outside stakeholders and align with National Recovery Plan

Table 12. Summary of warru recovery actions for 2013-2015: Actions completed fully for calendar year; Actions in progress, partially completed or actions which are ongoing; Actions which are about to be implemented, or are currently on hold; Actions which have not yet been implemented and include those which cannot begin until other actions have been completed.


AppendicesAppendix ARecovery team membership from 2013 - 2015

Name Role Organisation 2013 2014 2015

Matt Ward Chair DEWNR * To Mar 14

John Read Member 13/14Interim chair 15 Ecological Horizons * * *

Rebecca West Secretary 13 - 15 Uni of Adelaide/New South Wales * * *

Kate Holmes Secretary APY LM From Sept 15

Pete Copley Member DEWNR * *

Mark Eldridge Member Australian Museum * * *

Anna Miller Member APY LM * To June 15

Helen Palmer Member APY LM * *

Rachel Barr Member APY LM * *

Sam Doudle Member APY LM *

Jen Grindrod Member APY LM * *

Clint Taylor Member APY LM *

Beth Pohl Member Zoos SA * * *

Althea Guinsberg Member Zoos SA * *

Liberty Olds Member Zoos SA * *

Adam Pennington Member AW NRM *

Graeme Armstrong Member AW NRM *

Dr John Read, Interim Chair, Ecological Horizons Pty LtdDr Rebecca West, Consultant, University of New South WalesGraeme Armstrong, Fire Management Officer, NRAWAlthea Guinsberg, Team Leader, Natives and Primates, Monarto ZooBeth Pohl, Curator of Life Sciences, Monarto ZooDr Liberty Olds, Conservation Manager, Zoos South AustraliaDr Mark Eldridge, Principal Research Scientist - Terrestrial Vertebrates, Australian Museum Peter Copley, Senior Ecologist, Threatened Species and Ecological Communities, DEWNR

Appendix B


Appendix B

Oct2005

Aug2006

May2007

Aug2007

June2008

July2009

Aug2010

July2011

July2012

July2013

July2014 Total

No. traps 11 11 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 74

No. nights 4 4 6 6 6 6 4 4 4 4 4 52

Tota no. trap nights 44 44 109 120 120 120 80 80 80 80 80 957

Total no. animals caught 12 10 17 14 16 20 23 33 28 33 34 240

Males 6 5 10 7 9 9 11 11 10 14 14 106

Females 6 5 7 7 7 11 12 22 18 19 20 134

Gender ratios (M:F) 1 1 1.43 1 1.29 0.82 0.92 0.5 0.56 0.74 0.7 0.79

(total)% females breeding 83.3 100 71.4 100 100 87.5 80 88.2 94.4 94.7 83.3 89.35

(mean)No. pouch young 5 4 7 7 5 (1) 8 (1) 9 (1) 8 17 (3) 19 (3) 15(3) 104

(12 marked)No. new animals 12 8 8 0 5 6 11 10 9 8 12 89

No. new males 6 3 5 0 4 2 5 0 6 3 4 38

No. new females 6 5 3 0 1 4 6 10 3 5 8 51

No. new juveniles 0 0 1 0 4 3 4 5 2 0 3 22

No. new subadults

0 0 0 0 0 1 4 4 5 4 7 25

No. new adults 12 8 7 0 1 2 2 1 2 4 2 41

No. previous session retraps

0 2 9 14 11 14 12 19 19 25 22 147

No. evasive individuals

NA 3 0 0 2 1 4 1 3 2 2 18

Known to be alive animals

12 13 17 14 17 21 28 34 34 38 39 NA

Annual warru trapping records at New Well from 2005 - 2014


Appendix C

Mammals IMl IM2 IM3 IM4 IMS IT1 IT2 IT3 OM1 OM2 OM3 OM4 OMS OTl OT2 OT3 Total4yr

total

Pseudomys desertor 1 1 5

Pseudomys hermonsburgensis 1 1 17

Leggadina forresti 0 1

Notomys olexis 0 21

Mus domesticus 0 10

Antechinomys laniger 0 1

Sminthopsis ooldeo 1 1 1 1 1 5 16

Sminthopsis youngsoni 1 1 1

Tochyglossus aculeatus 0 1

Reptiles IMl IM2 IM3 IM4 IMS ITl IT2 IT3 OMl OM2 OM3 OM4 OMS OTl OT2 OT3 Total4yr

total

Diplodactylus conspicillatus 1 1 3

Gehyra purpurascens 0 1

Lucasium stenodactylus 0 2

Nephrurus levis 3 1 2 2 1 1 10 15

Rhynchoedura ornata 1 1 3 1 6 8

Strophurus ciliaris 1 1 5

Pygopus nigriceps 1 1 2

Ctenotus leonhardii 1 2 5 2 1 3 1 4 1 1 21 56

Ctenotus quattuordecimlineatus 3 3 11

Ctenotus robustus 1 1 2 5

Ctenotus schomburgkii 1 1 2 22

Lerista labialis 5 1 1 1 8 17

Lerista desertorum 0 1

Liopholis inornata 0 1

Menetia greyii 1 1 12

Morethia boulengeri 0 6

Morethia ruficauda 1 1 2

Amphibolurus longirostris 1 1 7

Ctenophorus isolepis 1 1 2 6

Ctenophorus nuchalis 1 1 3

Moloch horridus 0 1

Pogona minor 1 1 2 5

Tympanocryptis centralis 0 2

Brachyurophis bertholdii 0 1

Demansia sp. 0 2

Pseudechis australis 0 1

Pseudonaja modesta 0 1

Pseudonaja nuchalis 0 1

Ramphotyphlops bituberculatus 1 1 1

TOTAL 2 2 3 7 2 15 6 1 2 4 6 10 4 2 3 3 72 273

Captures of small vertebrates from the Pintji pitfall sites in 2014

This annual report was prepared by John Read, Rebecca West and Liberty Olds with contributionsfrom the Warru Recovery Team. Photographs used in this document were supplied by the Warru Recovery Team unless stated in the caption.

DisclaimerWhile reasonable efforts have been made to ensure the contents of this publication are factually correct, the Recovery Team makes no representations and accepts no responsibility for the accuracy, completeness or fitness for any particular purpose of the contents, and shall not be liable for any loss or damage that may be occasioned directly or indirectly through the use of or reliance on the contents of this publication.

Reference to any company, product or service in this publication should not be taken as an endorsement of the company, product or service.

Warru Recovery Team Logo by Amanyi Haggie, Traditional Owner, Pukatja.

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