Reducing feral camel impacts across remote Australia:

Australian Feral Camel Management Project

21st November 2013, Parliament House Theatre, Canberra

Session Three: Achievements and Outcomes Speakers: Mark Lethbridge, Ecoknowledge Jayne Brim Box, Northern Territory Government Sam Rando, Central Land Council Karl Hampton, Ninti One Lyndee Severin, Curtin Springs Station Jan Ferguson, Ninti One

Dr Mark Lethbridge

What have we learnt about feral camel movements, population dynamics and management

Camel monitoring and removal planning

• Satellite Tracking Habitat utilisation – removal planning Finding animals – Judas collars

• Aerial surveys

Monitor changes in the population Distribution – removal planning

• Decision Support Tools

Removal cost estimation Finding animals – Judas collars

Satellite Tracking

Dunes

2007 Aerial Survey

and 2007-09 Tracking

data

+

• From conference

Bulloo

DeGrey

Channel

Mandora

Rudall

Serpentine

Goyder

Dalhousie

George Hill Hay River

Uluru

West MacDonnell

Petermanns

West Finke

Algebuckina

Glen Helen

Eyre

Mound springs

Aerial Surveys

400 metres - added for low densities

200m strip

8%

10%

12%

14%

16%

18%

20%

22%

24%

26%

28%

30%

32%

0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6

Estim

ated

Pre

cisio

n

Esimated density of camels

200 metre strips 600 metres strips

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

0.4

0.7

0.9

1.2

1.4

1.7

1.9

2.2

2.4

2.7 3

3.2

3.5

3.7 4

4.2

4.5

4.7 5

5.2

5.5

5.7 6

6.2

6.5

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7.2

7.5

7.8 8

8.3

Perc

enta

ge +

/- e

rror

of a

bund

ance

est

imat

e

Sample effort % (transect width dependent)

Simpson culled mobs (av=15.1)

GVD recorded mobs (av= 4.7)

Ξ 200 m

Now

2008

Buffer Density Abundance Density Abundance 0-50km Serpine Lakes 0.21 4172 0.40 7779 0-50km Algebuckina Waterhouse, Lake Eyre, Lake Eyre Mount Springs 0.03 0.22 0-50km Goydor Lagoon 0.04 744 0.21 4251 0-50km Dalhousie Spring 0.10 1043 0.24 2596 0-50km Hay River & channel Country 0.04 3136 0.26 18518

0-50km Western MacDonnell Ranges, Glen Helen Mound Springs, Uluru Kata Tjuta, Petermann Ranges 0.22 24748 0.74 82423

0-50km Rundall River National Park 0.03 1439 0.27 12239 0-50km DeGrey River 0.00 0.02 0-50km Mandora Salt Marsh 0.00 0.04

50-100km Bulloo River and Lake 0.00 0.00 50-100km Serpine Lakes 0.22 6669 0.36 11074

50-100km Goydor Lagoon, Algebuckina Waterhouse, Lake Eyre, Lake Eyre Mount Springs, Dalhousie Spring, Hay River & channel Country 0.05 0.28

50-100km Western MacDonnell Ranges, Glen Helen Mound Springs, Uluru Kata Tjuta, Petermann Ranges 0.30 25959 0.74 64581

50-100km Rundall River National Park 0.03 1418 0.11 5121 50-100km DeGrey River 0.00 0.03 50-100km Mandora Salt Marsh 0.01 0.04

Target assets

Aerial Survey and Kriging interpolation/extrapolation

• Population in 2008 208,582 • Population in 2013 69,328

139,254 • Known Removals ~123,000 or 58.9% loss Unaccounted for ~16,000

In target asset areas + 100kms

• Aerial surveys targeted changes in density in and around assets – good agreement with removal data

• Much greater uncertainty of camel densities well away from survey

areas. – project focus was on removals, thus limited aerial survey coverage

• The 2008 map used older survey data back to 2001, corrected for a 9%

per annum increase in population growth rate. – Assumed no movement and constant growth rate – the latter now unlikely

• Accordingly, the 2013 map only uses 2013 data – thus conservative

• Analysis methodologies have improved.

Uncertainty away from asset areas

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2008

??

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2013

Other findings

• Large losses of camels in the Simpson Desert and poor condition animals seen further to the west

- Very low rainfall period after good season and fire • Population modelling now suggests rainfall has an influence and the average

population growth rate may be as low as 5% - A research question but currently no funding to support this work

Kriging estimate

2008 Improved estimate 600,000

2013 Now more likely 300,000 – 400,000 Unlikely there has been a net population growth over the period of the project with more recent fire and drought conditions. 600,000 – 160,000 known removals = 440,000 - so 40,000 – 130,000 unaccounted for.

SA – Simpson Desert May 2010

SA – Simpson Desert October 2010

NT – Simpson Desert Sept 2012

NT – Western Desert March 2012

NT – Western Desert July 2012

WA – Ngaanyatjarra/Kiwirrkurra October 2011

WA – Ngaanyatjarra/Kiwirrkurra March 2012

Decision Support Systems

0

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Freq

uenc

y as

a P

erce

ntag

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Sighted Distance from Aircraft (m)

WA SA NT

Broader Decision Tool

Estimate site-specific removal costs

www.nintione.com.au