Desert Mammals Surge 33x in Australian Feral-Free Zones

Karmactive Staff

Australian desert mammals show stunning recovery with populations growing 33 times larger when protected from feral cats and foxes.

Photo Source: Mark Marathon (CC BY-SA 4.0)

A landmark 26-year study reveals what happens when native wildlife gets a chance to thrive without introduced predators hunting them down.

Photo Source: Major Clangar (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

The Arid Recovery Reserve in South Australia created six fenced enclosures spanning 12,300 hectares - the largest feral-proof reserve in the country.

Photo Source: Shylu007 (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Scientists tracked 10 small mammal species for over two decades, finding fascinating patterns of succession as different species replaced each other over time.

Photo Source: Picryl (PDM 1.0)

Smaller rodents like Bolam's mouse flourished first, while larger species like the spinifex hopping mouse and plains mouse surged 5-9 years later.

vPhoto Source: Steffi Wacker

What surprised researchers most? This succession pattern happened solely from removing predators - without any major vegetation changes.

Photo Source: Harley Kingston (CC BY 2.0)

After big rainfall events, the difference between protected and unprotected areas became most apparent - showing how feral predators suppress natural population booms.

Photo Source: Yulina Ilina

The study revealed mammals expanding into habitats they weren't typically found in before - giving us a glimpse of how ecosystems functioned before European arrival.

Photo Source: Professor Batty (CC BY 2.0)

The spinifex hopping mouse, normally found in sand dunes, began using clay-based lowlands, while plains mice moved from lowlands into sand dunes.

Photo Source: Ejov Igor

These findings carry significant weight as Australia accounts for half of all global mammal extinctions in the last 200 years.

Photo Source: PxHere

In the study area alone, 60% of mammal species present before European settlement have disappeared - making these conservation successes crucial.

Photo Source: Tambako (CC BY-ND 2.0)

The project's success is inspiring similar efforts elsewhere, with seven new feral predator-free areas being established to help at least 50 threatened species recover.

Photo Source: Pixino

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