Context Globally, invasive species contribute to ecological decline by outcompeting native fauna. Effective management of invasive species' impacts should be informed by context-specific data. In Australia, the European hare (Lepus europaeus) remains poorly understood, especially in terms of distribution and ecological impacts, while the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) is a well-researched pest, particularly in agricultural landscapes. Research has not sufficiently addressed the ecology of hares and rabbits in Australia's forested environments.Aims We assessed the occupancy of hares and rabbits in the Northern Tablelands forests of New South Wales and identified factors associated with their occurrence.Methods In a single-season survey, we deployed 300 cameras, across four study sites, in Guy Fawkes River National Park and Oxley Wild Rivers National Park, to gather data on hare and rabbit distributions. We quantified temporal activity patterns and analysed site occupancy of hares and rabbits using single season occupancy models. Detection data were pooled to estimate landscape-scale occupancy and to generalise results within a mesic system.Key results Across 12,303 camera trap nights, hares and rabbits were detected infrequently. Hare occupancy decreased with increasing distance from non-native vegetation and increased with elevation and topographic wetness index. Rabbit occupancy also decreased with increasing distance from non-native vegetation and elevation. Hares and rabbits exhibited high temporal activity overlap (>80%).Conclusions Our study provides insight into habitat associations and potential drivers of hare and rabbit distribution in mesic forests. The observed relationships between occupancy, proximity to non-native vegetation, and elevation establish a baseline for understanding hare and rabbit ecology in forested landscapes, where their ecological roles remain poorly documented.Implications This study improves understanding of hare and rabbit occupancy in forested landscapes and highlights the need for monitoring approaches to be tailored for the target species. Although our survey design aligns with standard methods for native fauna, the unique behaviours and detectability of hares and rabbits may require tailored approaches. Refining these methods is crucial for deepening our understanding of these species' ecology and impacts, as well as supporting more effective and targeted management.

Wildlife research and management benefits from reliable population density estimates. The use of spatial-mark-resight models provides an opportunity to generate these estimates in partially marked animal populations. However, evaluation of the known impacts of observer-error, analytical technique and survey design have rarely been tested using these models. We applied two analytical approaches to evaluate how camera trap spacing, survey extent and the information available to observers for individual identification interact with model choice to affect population density estimates. We surveyed a population of feral domestic cats (Felis catus) using four core camera trap arrays: three grid arrays nested within each other at spacings of 250 m, 500 m or 1000 m over different spatial extents, and a road-based camera trap array. Cat images were reviewed in two stages, first with two independent observers identifying individuals, then by an additional observer who cross-referenced imagery from all arrays to resolve identification errors. Spatial-mark-resight analyses were conducted on all datasets using both a maximum-likelihood (MLE) and Bayesian estimation approach. Observer error occurred in all core arrays, with additional information reducing the number of identification errors. After correcting for observer error, density estimates ranged from 0.43 to 1.47 cats km⁻². Density estimates from MLE and Bayesian models were mostly similar but diverged as the number of marked-unidentified individuals in the population increased. Our results reinforce that estimates of density are sensitive to camera trap spacing and to the sample area covered by arrays. We demonstrate it is easy to accidentally violate recommendations for trap spacing when using dated movement information and emphasise the importance of (1) obtaining pre-cursory movement information from the target population, and (2) optimising individual identifiability when designing monitoring arrays for density estimation using spatial-mark-resight approaches.

Context The management of feral cats (Felis catus) is crucial to effective species conservation. One management approach is to aerially apply toxic baits (containing sodium monofluoroacetate) to achieve landscape scale control. However, limited bait types are available to target cats. Aims In the absence of specific baits (i.e. Eradicat® or Curiosity®) for the control of feral cats in New South Wales (NSW), we aimed to investigate the effectiveness of red meat baits, intended for canid control, to reduce local feral cat density. Methods We deployed a grid of 65 camera traps, spaced at approximately 1-km intervals, in the Guy Fawkes River National Park, NSW. The feral cat population was surveyed 7 weeks prior to and post-baiting, separated by a 4-week baiting period that was unmonitored. Cats detected by camera were individually identified and a spatial-mark-resight model was used to estimate the change in feral cat density. Key results In total, 34 individual feral cats were identified. The feral cats present after baiting were mostly different to those individuals detected prior to baiting. However, feral cat density was not substantially different between surveys (pre-baiting: 0.56 cats km−2, 95% CI: 0.39–0.81 cats km−2; post-baiting: 0.58 cats km−2, 95% CI: 0.40–0.84 cats km−2). Conclusions Aerially deployed red meat baits, intended for canid control, had a negligible effect on feral cat density. The density estimate reported was two times higher than the average cat density previously modelled for natural environments across Australia. Implications With a higher-than-expected density, and no clear population reduction from red meat baiting, it is possible the local feral cat population may be having a greater impact on regional biodiversity than previously expected. However, given the lack of replication, we caution against pre-emptively generalising the outcomes of this study across different seasons and ecoregions.

ABSTRACT In the complex interplay between agriculture and wildlife, free‐living predators pose a unique set of challenges. In western New South Wales (NSW), free‐living canids (legislatively defined as ‘wild dogs’; Canis familiaris ; which currently includes dingoes, feral modern dogs and their hybrids) are managed due to their impacts on livestock production and other wildlife. Although there are divergent perspectives and ongoing debate regarding dingo taxonomy and their management, this paper is framed explicitly within the current taxonomic and NSW legislative classification of wild dogs. Our primary aim was to progress our understanding of wild dog movement ecology in the rangelands of western NSW, thereby providing actionable insights for more strategic and efficient application of current management practices. We utilised GPS tracking collars to record wild dog movements within both agricultural and conservation landscapes to better understand the habitat preference of wild dogs within the landscape. Wild dogs had an average activity area of 683.73 km 2 ( n = 11, days collared = 14–406 days) and moved an average of 15.43 km per day during the study and positively selected for drainage depressions. Such activity areas are much larger than those reported in other studies for the eastern and coastal parts of Australia. These results give land managers a better understanding of wild dog ecology and how they use landscapes in western NSW. For more efficient deployment of control effort, future management could be targeted at drainage lines. More broadly, our study again demonstrates how movement data can be used to help optimise management efforts.

The socio-ecological roles and status of free-roaming dogs (Canis familiaris) in Australian urban, peri-urban and other environments are complex. We review and synthesise those complexities and identify knowledge deficits and impediments to adoption of best-practice management of free-roaming dogs. Briefly, perceptions of the roles and impacts of free-roaming dogs in Australia are affected by their status as native, introduced and culturally significant animals, the situations in which they occur and the other species, including humans, with which they interact. Their negative, neutral and positive impacts often occur contemporaneously making free-roaming dogs a ‘wicked’ problem. We propose and evaluate a One Health-based solution using an environmental psychology perspective in a strategic adaptive management framework. This includes: a typology of free-roaming dogs that assists in the situational definition of animal and public health and welfare issues; identification of some human dimensions affecting management of free-roaming dogs; identification of discipline specialities that require inclusion in an effective One Health approach; audience segmentation, and; priorities for research and policy development to encourage adoption of best-practice management for each occurrence of free-roaming dog impacts.

Context Feral cats are responsible for the decline and extinction of species globally. Predation by feral cats is identified in Australian legislation as a key threatening process. However, clear guidance to local land managers on feral cat management techniques and their impacts, limitations and potential costs can be difficult to find. Aims In this study, feral cat management experts from around Australia identified available management techniques and their average environmental, social, and economic impact for different ecoregions and land-use types. Methods We convened a 1-day structured elicitation workshop with 19 experts and five facilitators. Experts identified the techniques used for feral cat management; the effectiveness, impact, and cost of each method; and the key knowledge gaps associated with feral cat management. Facilitators aided in the design and format of the workshop, led the discussion at each stage and collated the results. Key results Experts identified the following 10 techniques currently used in Australia: aerial baiting; ground baiting; leghold trapping; cage trapping; shooting; tracking with detector dogs; tracking by Indigenous Rangers; habitat modification; resource modification; and exclusion fencing. In general, experts highlighted that permits, legislation and scale of application constrained many of these techniques. Aerial baiting was considered the most effective technique for reducing feral cat populations in natural and production systems. Cage trapping, shooting, or tracking with detector dogs were considered more effective in residential areas. For all techniques, efficacy estimates varied according to the following three broad vegetation structural regions: (1) deserts and xeric shrublands; (2) forests and woodlands; and (3) grasslands, savannas and shrublands. Techniques considered to have the lowest social tolerance and highest impact to non-target native species included aerial baiting, ground baiting and leghold trapping. Techniques considered to have high social tolerance and low impact on non-target species included tracking by Rangers, tracking with detector dogs, and habitat and resource modification. Conclusions Estimates of management action efficacy differ among land-use types and at least three vegetation structural regions. However, social licence, logistic and legislative constraints are the key drivers of the availability of methods for these areas. Implications Feral cat management programs should consider how program strategy can be prioritised on the basis of technique availability, region of use and expected impact.

Feral cats ( Felis catus ) pose a significant global threat to biodiversity, primarily through predation, disease and competition. A key gap in parameterizing models for improving management decisions for feral cat control relates to factors that drive feral cat survival and movement in the wild. Our study objective was to conduct the first continental-scale analysis of survival rates and displacement distances for feral cats. We collated data on 528 feral cats from telemetry studies in naturally-vegetated landscapes across Australia. Using Cox-proportional hazards models, we investigated the effects of sex, presence of larger predators (dingoes, Canis familiaris and introduced foxes, Vulpes vulpes ), presence of introduced prey (rabbits, Oryctolagus cuniculus ), body mass, landscape productivity and feral cat density on feral cat survival. We also analysed the effects of sex, body mass and landscape productivity on feral cat displacement using linear mixed model analysis. Feral cat survival was positively associated with presence of dingoes and increasing body mass, whereas there was no clear association between feral cat survival and sex, presence of rabbits, or cat density. Presence of foxes had a strong negative effect on feral cat survival, but the hazard ratio was associated with considerable uncertainty. Net displacement of male feral cats was nearly two times further than that of females, and the proportion of feral cats making long-distance movements was greater in landscapes with low productivity. Increasing body mass of feral cats was positively related to net displacement, with heavier cats moving further. Analysis of metadata from telemetry studies can provide valuable insights into wildlife survival rates and movement behaviour. Our findings will help inform the development of effective management strategies and improve feral cat management for biodiversity conservation.

Small island populations are vulnerable to genetic decline via demographic and environmental stochasticity. In the absence of immigration, founder effects, inbreeding and genetic drift are likely to contribute to local extinction risk. Management actions may also have a greater impact on small, closed populations. The demographic and social characteristics of a species can, however, delay the impact of threats. K’gari, a 1 660 km2 island off the Australian east coast and UNESCO World Heritage Site (Fraser Island 1842–2023), supports an isolated population of approximately 70–200 dingoes that represent an ideal opportunity to explore the small island paradigm. To examine temporal and spatial patterns of genetic diversity in this population we analysed single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotype data (72 454 SNPS) for 112 K’gari dingoes collected over a 25-year period (1996 to 2020). Genetic diversity was lower in K’gari dingoes than mainland dingoes at the earliest time point in our study and declined significantly following a management cull in 2001. We did not find any spatial genetic patterns on the island, suggesting high levels of genetic connectivity between socially discrete packs. This connectivity, combined with the social structure and behaviour of dingoes, may act in concert to buffer the population from the impacts of genetic drift in the short term. Nevertheless, a general decline in genetic variation via inbreeding and drift has occurred over the past 20 years which we suggest should be considered in any future management planning for the population. Monitoring patterns of genetic variation, together with a clearer understanding of the social ecology of K’gari dingoes, will aid in the development of measurable genetic targets set over ecologically meaningful timelines, and help ensure continued survival of this culturally important population.

Context Ground baiting is a strategic method for reducing vertebrate pest populations. Best practice involves maximising bait availability to the target species, although sustaining this availability is resource intensive because baits need to be replaced each time they are taken. This study focused on improving pest population management through the novel baiting technique outlined in this manuscript, although there is potential use across other species and applications (e.g. disease management).Aims To develop and test an automated, intelligent, and semi-permanent, multi-bait dispenser that detects target species before distributing baits and provides another bait when a target species revisits the site.Methods We designed and field tested the Sentinel Bait Station, which comprises a camera trap with in-built species-recognition capacity, wireless communication and a dispenser with the capacity for five baits. A proof-of-concept prototype was developed and validated via laboratory simulation with images collected by the camera. The prototype was then evaluated in the field under real-world conditions with wild-living canids, using non-toxic baits.Key results Field testing achieved 19 automatically offered baits with seven bait removals by canids. The underlying image recognition algorithm yielded an accuracy of 90%, precision of 83%, sensitivity of 68% and a specificity of 96% throughout field testing. The response time of the system, from the point of motion detection (within 6–10m and the field-of-view of the camera) to a bait being offered to a target species, was 9.81±2.63s.Conclusion The Sentinel Bait Station was able to distinguish target species from non-target species. Consequently, baits were successfully deployed to target species and withheld from non-target species. Therefore, this proof-of-concept device is able to successfully provide baits to successive targets from secure on-board storage, thereby overcoming the need for daily bait replacement.Implications The proof-of-concept Sentinel Bait Station design, together with the findings and observations from field trials, confirmed the system can deliver multiple baits and increase the specificity in which baits are presented to the target species using artificial intelligence. With further refinement and operational field trials, this device will provide another tool for practitioners to utilise in pest management programs.

Context Managing human–wildlife conflict where anthropogenic resources are provided is difficult. Providing food, water and shelter can result in over-abundant dingo populations, especially in Australian desert mine sites where managing dingoes, wildlife and humans around waste-management facilities and camps is problematic. Aims To measure and characterise the spatial activities of a population of arid-zone dingoes in relation to resources provided by a Cooper Basin (Strzelecki Desert, South Australia mining operation). The results were used to facilitate effective dingo management. Methods Free-roaming dingoes were captured, their morphometrics and ectoparasite presence recorded, and they were fitted with Iridium (GPS) radio collars. These were used to collect high-fidelity data about individual dingo activity and movements in relation to mine-site infrastructure and the Cooper Basin ecosystem. Key results A high density of dingoes (181 trapped in 2 km2 per 4 years) was associated with the mining operation. Home range/activity area sizes and usage of the anthropogenic landscape showed the following three categories of dingo: desert, peripatetic and tip dingoes. Dingoes reliant on food provisioning at the waste-management facility (WMF) displayed activity areas with a strong focus on the WMF (tip dingoes). Temporal activity patterns of another group of dingoes (peripatetic dingoes) were associated with regular waste-dumping times and normal nocturnal activity away from the WMF. Of the 27 dingoes collared, 30% (i.e. desert dingoes) were not dependent on the WMF, spending more time and a greater area of use in the desert dune system than in the mine-site area. Conclusions On the basis of the capture of 181 dingoes over 4 years and home-range analysis, it is likely that anthropogenic resource provisioning has caused an overabundance of dingoes in the Cooper Basin mine site. However, some of the dingo population remains reliant on native wildlife and resources in the surrounding desert. Managing food waste and excluding dingoes from food, water and shelter will result in a change in the prevalence of dingoes in the mine site, and subsequent reduction in the risk of disease transmission, native wildlife impacts, human conflicts and social pressures on dingoes, influencing them to revert to domestic-dog behaviours. Implications Waste-management facilities where food is dumped provide resources that lead to a change in wild-dingo behaviour, on the basis of their acceptance of human-provided resources, and high abundance. Managing access to anthropogenic resources will reduce the population as well as unwanted or aggressive encounters with humans. Dingoes reliant on food scraps will be encouraged to adjust their activity areas to desert habitat, thereby providing natural hunting opportunities and reduced contact rates with conspecifics, thus potentially reducing pathogen transmission.

Ecological studies of common brushtail possums ( Trichosurus vulpecula ) in their extant range have been limited by technology and the species’ nocturnal habit. However, camera traps now allow the investigation of possum ethology without observer interference. Here, we analysed terrestrial possum activity patterns using a large dataset collected over 3 years from 133 camera traps in mesic eucalypt woodland and open forest in three national parks on the New England Tablelands, New South Wales, Australia. We investigated how weather and moonlight intensity influenced possum activity patterns throughout the night, and across seasons and years, by using the timestamps assigned to each detection by the camera trap. Terrestrial possum activity increased as ambient temperatures decreased in autumn and peaked in winter when females were rearing offspring. Nightly possum detections decreased significantly with rain and increasing mean temperature. Possums were almost exclusively nocturnal, with most terrestrial activity earlier in the evening in winter and later at night in summer. During longer nights, higher temperatures also delayed activity. While nightly detection rates were not affected by lunar phase, possums preferred parts of the night with the highest moonlight intensity, and this effect was stronger on brighter nights. Overall, brushtail possums were most active on the ground when temperatures were mild and moonlight bright, presumably assisting foraging and predator avoidance, and during the breeding season; they avoided rain. These patterns suggest that reproduction, thermoregulation and risk of predation strongly shape the nocturnal activity cycle. Furthermore, our research adds to the evidence that camera traps can help greatly expand our knowledge of the ecology and behaviour of nocturnal mammals.

GPS tracking collars were fitted to five free-ranging dogs (Canis familiaris) in the Arcadia Valley, Queensland to establish baseline movement data in this unique topographical landscape. Activity areas were generated with three home range methods using seasonally constrained fixes. Activity areas (Brownian Bridge and Utilisation Distribution) ranged from 2.9 to 689 km2 in this landscape, and revealed that topographical features previously thought to confine free-ranging dog movement were no barrier to habitat use.

The spotted-tailed quoll (Dasyurus maculatus) is an endangered mesopredator endemic to Australia. It is generally considered a forest-dependent species associated with large, intact forested habitats. In Australia’s mainland, quoll research has typically been conducted in contiguous forest, and consequently, the species’ presumed forest-dependency might reflect sampling bias rather than preferred habitat niche. Recent studies have revealed that quolls also persist in fragmented agricultural landscapes, raising questions about their true habitat requirements and preferences. In this study, we investigated quoll habitat use within a fragmented agricultural landscape in mainland Australia. We deployed 42 lured camera traps to determine quoll habitat preferences across four broad vegetation types (open grassland, grassy woodland, dry sclerophyll forest, and wet sclerophyll forest) based on quoll activity and occupancy. Quolls were detected in all vegetation types, and quoll activity indicated a preference for dry sclerophyll forest and grassy woodlands, although this preference varied depending on the time of year. Our results suggest that quoll habitat use in mainland Australia is more flexible than previously assumed, and we recommend further research on factors that may influence habitat preference such as prey availability and seasonal behavior. Understanding the factors that drive habitat use by quolls outside of contiguous forested landscapes will inform and improve conservation and management strategies to ensure critical habitat for the species is protected and retained in an increasingly fragmented landscape.

Feral Cats are widespread and common across Australia, preying upon a wide diversity and large quantity of vertebrates and invertebrates. Curbing their impacts demands developing new control methods, as existing techniques are only usually partially successful. One such new method is the Felixer, a device that uses a combination of sensors to differentiate Feral Cats from other fauna before delivering a toxic gel to the fur of its target. Subsequently, this gel is then groomed and ingested. Before the Felixer can be more widely adopted, however, it is important to understand its target specificity. In a series of pen trials, we examined the ability of Felixer devices to discriminate Spotted-tailed Quolls, a cat-sized marsupial carnivore high on the list of species of concern. Over several weeks, multiple Spotted-tailed Quolls were each individually placed in pens with Felixers programmed in photograph only mode to take photographs only when sensors were triggered. Overall, there were almost 4000 detection events where Quolls passed in front of these devices and photographs taken. Nearly 1300 of these detections showed Quolls in a perpendicular or side-on position, ideally placed for the Felixer sensor arrays. Despite this exposure, there were no instances where the Felixer devices indicated that they would have activated on Quolls, had they been in lethal mode. This finding adds to recently published work in Tasmania, that also showed Quolls were highly unlikely to be incorrectly identified. Nevertheless, further studies of non-target discrimination by the Felixer device on other species of native wildlife is vital before they are made fully operational. This is particularly the case on the eastern seaboard of the country where the device has not yet been widely used and much remains to be learned about how they perform when faced with different species.

The spotted-tailed quoll (Dasyurus maculatus) is an endangered marsupial carnivore that is often surveyed using camera traps. Camera trap surveys targeting quolls typically use meat-based lures and specific camera setups tailored to increase the probability of quoll detection. However, where quolls occur, they can also be incidentally detected as non-target species in camera surveys targeting small to medium-sized herbivorous or omnivorous mammals (‘prey’ surveys). We investigated whether quoll detectability using traditional ‘prey’ camera surveys could sufficiently approximate quoll detectability using targeted ‘quoll’ surveys, potentially enabling quoll data from prey surveys to be used in lieu of undertaking additional quoll-specific surveys. We used 50 Reconyx HC600 cameras to quantify and compare quoll detectability between prey and quoll surveys at each of two different sites. The number of quoll detections, number of individual quolls detected and the probability of quoll detection at both sites were significantly higher in quoll surveys than in prey surveys. Our findings suggest that prey surveys substantially underestimate quoll detectability, resulting in incomplete datasets. We therefore caution against using quoll detection data from prey camera trap surveys for anything other than incidental presence observations, to avoid misleading survey and management outcomes.

Camera traps provide a valuable tool for surveying wildlife, but theft and vandalism can be costly and pose a constant threat to image data integrity and continuity. Permanent, secure posts represent one solution, but they need constant innovation to account for the persistence and ingenuity of camera trap vandals and thieves. Here we outline the progression of designs for a bollard-style housing used to mitigate theft and damage of camera traps placed for continuous monitoring of predators and other wildlife along tracks. The evolving design process over a 10 year period was driven by ongoing attacks on the posts and finally our endeavours to counter what we considered might be the next attack on our design. The current security posts have not been breached to date, producing a design that we consider the most formidable.

The parma wallaby (Notomacropus parma Waterhouse, 1846) is a small macropodid marsupial found in the temperate wet forests of south-eastern Australia. It is one of the most understudied critical weight range mammals in Australia, with the only detailed published ecological research being conducted in the 1970s. This chapter reports on the inadequacy of monitoring that has occurred on the parma wallaby (and other threatened macropods) in Australia, and how this lack of baseline information makes responding to the Black Summer bushfires of 2019–2020 exceedingly difficult.

Context. Species Distribution Models (SDM) can be used to investigate and understand relationships between species occurrence and environmental variables, so as to predict potential distribution. These predictions can facilitate conservation actions and management decisions. Oxley Wild Rivers National Park (OWRNP) is regarded as an important stronghold for the threatened brush-tailed rock-wallaby (Petrogale penicillata), on the basis of the presence of the largest known metapopulation of the species. Adequate knowledge of the species' ecology and distribution in OWRNP is a key objective in the national recovery plan for the species occurring in the Park. Aims. To model distribution using key GIS-derived environmental factors for the brush-tailed rock-wallaby in OWRNP and to ground-truth its presence through field surveys in areas of high habitat suitability. Methods. We used Maxent to model the distribution of the brush-tailed rock-wallaby within OWRNP on the basis of 282 occurrence records collected from an online database, elicitation of informal records from experts, helicopter surveys and historic records. Environmental variables used in the analysis were aspect, distance to water, elevation, geology type, slope and vegetation type. Key results. Vegetation type (37.9%) was the highest contributing predictor of suitable habitat, whereas aspect (4.8%) contributed the least. The model produced an area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) of 0.780. The model was able to discriminate between suitable and non-suitable habitat for brush-tailed rock-wallabies. Areas identified in our model as being highly suitable yielded eight new occurrence records during subsequent ground-truthing field surveys. Conclusions. Brush-tailed rock-wallaby distribution in OWRNP is primarily associated with vegetation type, followed by distance to water, elevation, geology, slope and aspect. Field surveys indicated that the model was able to identify areas of high habitat suitability.

Dogs are ubiquitous and strongly associated with human communities, but many roam freely, away from the owners' property and control. Free-roaming owned dogs can pose risks through disease transmission to and from other dogs, attacking domestic animals, fauna or humans, and involvement in road accidents. However, little research has focused on understanding their movement ecology, thereby hindering the development of effective management plans. We modified store-bought GPS collars and used them to track a sample of 43 free-roaming owned dogs from peri-urban sites in north-east New South Wales and south-east Queensland, Australia. Our aim was to quantify the activity ranges of owned dogs and the distances they travelled, whether free-roaming or accompanying people, and to identify some associated factors. The total activity ranges of our sample of dogs were variable (0.80-1776.20 ha), and the mean daily activity range of collared dogs was relatively large (7.23 +/- 11.99 ha), with mean daily accumulated distances travelled ranging from 0.25 to 4.81 km (mean = 1.95 +/- 1.10 km). The dogs exhibited two temporal activity peaks, one between 0700 and 1000 and a second between 1600 and 1900 hrs. Most human-mediated dog movements were short in duration, ranging from 45 min to 6 h, with dogs moving an average of 48.60 +/- 64.00 km, but up to 329.00 km from their home. The large activity ranges and relatively long movements in this sample of free-roaming owned dogs suggests they have potential to contribute to the spread of exotic and endemic zoonotic and canid diseases in the peri-urban coastal regions of eastern Australia. The baseline information collected here is crucial to our understanding of disease transmission among peri-urban dogs, and modelling spread within and between communities. Additionally, it provides valuable information for authorities seeking to improve management of free-roaming owned dogs.

ContextImproving the welfare outcomes for captured animals is critically important and should underpin ‘best-practice’ trapping. Most Australian States and Territories have regulations and guidelines that form a legal framework for the maximum number of hours an animal can be restrained in a trap. Because servicing all traps within preferred time frames (less than 24h) can be logistically difficult or is considered undesirable for efficacy reasons, some jurisdictions have adopted relatively long trap-checking intervals (up to 72 h). AimsWe developed and tested the signal transmission and alert efficacy of a foot hold-trap alert system, based on Celium technology, so as to advise trappers of the activation of individual foot-hold traps, even in remote locations. MethodsWe refined the Celium trap-alert system and designed a below-ground wireless node that transmits a message via satellite or by using the cellular system when a foot-hold trap is sprung. We tested signal transmission and alert efficacy in three locations, with a focus in Australia. Key resultsTransmission of signals from nodes to hubs and to a smart-phone application were used to resolve interference problems and to identify signal limitations and strengths. During the capture of 34 dingoes, 91% of captures resulted in an alert being received. False negatives were attributed to technical issues with nearby transmitters swamping signals, and software problems that have since been resolved. In 40 captures of dogs and foxes, only one trap-alert transmitter (mole) was uncovered by a target animal and no devices were damaged by animals post-capture. ConclusionsThis cable-less trap-alert system successfully uses both cellular and satellite networks to transmit messages from desert and coastal locations to trappers, in Australia. We confirmed that this trap-alert system is not detected by target predators in the areas tested and can be effectively used to alert trappers when traps have been sprung. ImplicationsThis trap-alert system provides a tool to improve welfare outcomes for trapped target and non-target animals through Australia and New Zealand and wherever trapping occurs. It, furthermore, provides a solution to checking traps daily when the distance to and between traps cannot be covered within an appropriate time frame. Although trap alerts can never replace the value of daily trap checking by the trapper, they provide a solution to a management problem, namely, one of accessibility to sites.