Known Declared Animals in the Kimberley
Cane Toad (Rhinella marina)
Legal status: Declared Pest, Prohibited - s12.Cane toads are native to South and Central America. They are extremely hardy animals and voracious predators of insects and other small prey. These qualities led to their introduction into Australia as a means of controlling pest beetles in the sugar cane industry in 1935. Since then, the range of cane toads has expanded through Australia’s northern landscape and they are now moving westward at an estimated 40 to 60 km per year.
The cane toad defends itself through poison produced from bulging glands on their shoulders – these exude venom when the toad is provoked. While some birds and native predators have learned to avoid the poison glands of adult toads, other predators are more vulnerable and die rapidly after ingesting them. The arrival of cane toads in the Kimberley was linked to a marked decline in some native predators especially northern quolls, large goannas and some snakes.
More informationFeral Cat (Felis catus)
The Felis catus (feral) is Declared Pest - s22(2) for the whole of state and is not assigned to any control category for a local government area at this time.
The feral cat is found in most habitats across Australia. It has caused the extinction of some species on islands and is thought to have contributed to the disappearance of many ground-dwelling birds and mammals on the mainland.
On islands, feral cat control is feasible, but elsewhere management is difficult due to the lack of effective and humane broad scale control techniques, and the presence of domestic cats.
More informationFeral Camel (Camelus dromedarius)
Feral camels were imported into Australia from British India and Afghanistan during the 19th century for transport and construction during the colonisation of the central and western parts of Australia. Many were released into the wild after motorised transport replaced the use of camels in the early 20th century, resulting in a fast-growing feral population.
They roam long distances across Australia’s rangeland ecosystems and can cause significant damage to pastures, the natural environment, community infrastructure and cultural sites.
More informationWild Dog (Canis familiaris)
Legal status: Declared Pest - s22(2).C3 - Management / Exempt.
Should have some form of management applied that will alleviate the harmful impact of the animal, reduce the numbers or distribution or prevent or contain its spread.
The term wild dog is used to describe dingoes, feral/escaped domestic dogs and their hybrids. Both dingoes and wild domestic dogs are the same species, Canis familiaris and are a major pest species impacting on grazing industries across mainland Australia. Wild dog predation on livestock takes an economic toll on livestock producers in the Kimberley region.
More information More informationFeral Donkey (Equus asinus)
Legal status: Declared Pest - s22(2).C3 - Management / Exempt.
Should have some form of management applied that will alleviate the harmful impact of the animal, reduce the numbers or distribution or prevent or contain its spread.
Donkeys arrived in Australia in 1866 to serve as pack animals and in haulage teams. They were particularly useful in the Kimberley, where the Crotalaria species of plants proved to be toxic to horses. Motorised transport replaced donkeys throughout the early 1900s and feral herds were first reported in the 1920s. By 1949 the donkey was sufficiently numerous to be declared a pest in Western Australia.
Donkeys are considered to be serious environmental pests, causing erosion and damaging vegetation with their hard hoofs. They will also compete for food and water with native animals and cattle.
More informationFeral Horse (Equus caballus)
Legal status: Declared Pest - s22(2).C3 - Management / Exempt.
Should have some form of management applied that will alleviate the harmful impact of the animal, reduce the numbers or distribution or prevent or contain its spread when running wild in agricultural and pastoral areas only.
Australia has an estimated 400,000 feral horses mainly in central and northern Australia. In central Australia, feral horses overgraze large areas because they can travel up to 50 kilometres from water in search of food. This can force native wildlife from its favoured habitats. The impact of feral horses on native grasses, herbs, shrubs and drinkable water is most pronounced during drought. They can quickly degrade areas close to remote waterholes and natural springs, which during a drought become refuges critical to the survival of many native animals and plants.
Feral horses pose a particularly complex management problem because they can have economic and cultural value, and debate continues about the best way to manage their populations.
More informationFeral Pig (Sus scrofa)
Legal status: Declared Pest - s22(2).C3 - Management / Exempt.
Should have some form of management applied that will alleviate the harmful impact of the animal, reduce the numbers or distribution or prevent or contain its spread.
Domestic pigs were introduced to Australia by European settlers and populations of feral pigs were widespread by the 1880s. Feral pigs are now common in the Northern Territory, Queensland, Australian Capital Territory and New South Wales, and less common in western Victoria and Western Australia. The primary environmental impacts of feral pigs are habitat degradation and predation of native species. By wallowing and rooting feral pigs modify stream sides, increase erosion, and decrease food resources and habitat for native wildlife.
Feral pigs also compete with native animals for food, eat the eggs of ground-nesting species, spread environmental weeds and transmit disease.
More informationWater buffalo (Bubalus bubalis)
Is a prohibited organism by virtue of section 22(1), and may only be imported and kept subject to permits.
Water buffalo are rarely sighted in Western Australia and restricted to the Kimberley region. They were imported to Australia in the 19th century to supply meat to remote northern settlements. The settlements and their buffalo were abandoned in 1949 and despite harvesting for meat, hides and as hunters' trophies, feral buffalo spread across the northern floodplains.
The Brucellosis and Tuberculosis Eradication Campaign reduced feral buffalo numbers significantly in the 1980s and 1990s but numbers are again very high right across northern Australia causing significant damage to wetlands.
More informationDeclared Animals not yet found in the Kimberley
Feral Goat (Capra hircus)
Legal status: Declared Pest - s22(2).C3 - Management / Exempt.
Should have some form of management applied that will alleviate the harmful impact of the animal, reduce the numbers or distribution or prevent or contain its spread.
Feral populations of goats established in Australia from the escape, abandonment, or deliberate release of domestic goats (Parkes et al. 1996). Feral goats live in all States and Territories and on many offshore islands, but are most common in areas of western New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia and Queensland (Figure 4.1). The diet of feral goats includes grasses, leaves, bark, flowers, fruit, and the roots of many plant species (Parkes et al. 1996).
Feral goats are thought to have major effects on native vegetation, and may also compete with native wildlife and stock for food, water and shelter.
More informationIndian House Crow (Corvus splendens)
Prohibited organisms are declared pests by virtue of section 22(1), and may only be imported and kept subject to permits.
The house crow is also known as the Indian, grey-necked, Ceylon or Colombo crow. It is not native to Australia but has been transported here on numerous occasions on ships. The house crow has significant potential to establish populations in Australia and become a pest, so it is important to report any found in the wild.
In the past reports have been received of the pest been sighted around the port of Wyndham, however a monitoring program was unable to verify the reports.
More informationIndian Myna (Acridotheres tristis)
Prohibited organisms are declared pests by virtue of section 22(1), and may only be imported and kept subject to permits.
The Indian myna is a medium-sized bird native to the Middle East, India and Asia. They are an introduced species that have the potential to expand their range and become more abundant in a variety of open habitats, including parks, gardens, suburbs/towns, agricultural areas and some eucalyptus woodlands. Indian mynas compete aggressively for nesting hollows and will evict native parrots and other native wildlife (e.g. possums and gliders). They act as a potential reservoir for diseases that affect native birds (e.g. avian malaria) and can damage fruit, vegetable and cereal crops. Additionally they can cause dermatitis, allergies and asthma in people by nesting in the roofs of houses and carry mites and lice that can affect humans.
More informationRabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus)
Legal status: Declared Pest - s22(2).C3 - Management / Exempt.
Should have some form of management applied that will alleviate the harmful impact of the animal, reduce the numbers or distribution or prevent or contain its spread when running free in the wild only.
The rabbit is one of the most widely distributed and abundant mammals in Australia. They were first released in 1859 in Victoria, and spread rapidly to cover most of Australia, except the far north. They are predominantly grazers and compete with native wildlife for resources. They also alter the distribution and abundance of native plant species and physically alter habitats.
Feral rabbits have been implicated in the extinction of a number of small mammals in Australia's arid regions.
More informationRed Fox (Vulpes Vulpes)
Legal status: Declared Pest - s22(2).C3 - Management / Exempt.
Should have some form of management applied that will alleviate the harmful impact of the animal, reduce the numbers or distribution or prevent or contain its spread.
The red fox was deliberately introduced into Australia in the mid to late 1800's and are now common throughout most of Australia, except the tropical north and some offshore islands. Foxes have been shown to eat a wide range of native species and are thought to have played a major role in the decline of many ground-nesting birds, small to medium sized mammals, and reptiles.
More informationRed-eared Slider (Trachemys scripta)
Prohibited organisms are declared pests by virtue of section 22(1), and may only be imported and kept subject to permits.
The red-eared slider turtle is a small freshwater turtle native to the southern United States. Tens of millions of red-eared sliders have been sold worldwide as pets. As a result, the species has naturalised in numerous countries. It is currently listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as ‘one of the world’s worst invasive alien species’. It is considered an environmental pest outside its natural range because the species competes with native turtles for food, nesting areas and basking sites.
Red-eared slider turtles are recognised reservoirs for the Salmonella bacterium. Infection of humans caused by the handling of turtles has led to restrictions on the sale of it in the USA.
More informationHouse Sparrow (Passer domesticus)
Prohibited organisms are declared pests by virtue of section 22(1), and may only be imported and kept subject to permits.
House sparrows are found mainly in urban areas of Australia. They are highly aggressive towards other birds and will take over the nest sites of native species. House sparrows will also break the eggs of other birds, leading to a decline in native bird numbers. In agricultural areas, house sparrows will eat large amounts of grain and seed, which affects the productivity of the farm.
More informationCommon Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)
Prohibited organisms are declared pests by virtue of section 22(1), and may only be imported and kept subject to permits.
More information
