PEEL Harvey Catchment Council (PHCC) hosted Australia’s first Threatened Species commissioner Gregory Andrews to launch two projects in the upper catchment.
The two projects Farmers 4 Fauna and a partnership with the Shire of Cuballing focus on feral animal control, specifically feral cats.
To date feral cats endanger at least 142 native species, more than one third of our threatened mammals, reptiles, frogs and birds.
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READ NOWIncluded in the list are two small iconic Western Australian mammals, the numbat (Myrmecobius fasciatus) and the woylie (Bettongia penicillata ogilbyi).
Both of these species are listed as endangered with the proposed Dryandra Woodland National Park being home to one of the few remaining natural populations of both species.
Department of Parks and Wildlife are continuing work to help restore and maintain healthy populations of numbats and woylies within Dryandra Woodland through building a new predator proof compound and programs such as Western Shield, along with other initiatives.
Adjacent landholders are also working with the department, and now the PHCC to undertake feral animal control on their properties, which helps to give these endangered species a fighting chance.
In recognition of this and in an effort to complement the efforts of Parks and Wildlife, in April PHCC confirmed support of two projects which focus on feral cat and fox control on land close to and surrounding the Dryandra Woodland.
Farmers 4 Fauna focuses on supporting private landholders neighbouring Dryandra.
More than 30 landholders, local and state Government partners and Mr Andrews gathered at Barna Mia Animal Sanctuary to learn more about the project and engage with the presenters from DAFWA, Parks and Wildlife, Project Numbat and PHCC.
The partnership with the Shire of Cuballing aims to manage feral cat monitoring and the removal at Popanyinning Waste Disposal Site.
This project was launched on site the same day with Mr Andrews, Shire of Cuballing chief executive and councillors, WA Feral Animal Management representatives and PHCC representatives.
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