Cover image courtesy of TourismNT

Blog Author: Hugh Davies

While the Tiwi Islands are one of the few remaining areas in Australia to have retained their complete mammal assemblage, recent research suggests that Tiwi mammal populations may be exhibiting the initial signs of decline.

The decline of native mammals across northern Australia is associated with frequent, intense fires and grazing by large introduced herbivores (such as buffalo, horse and cattle) due to the depletion of critical resources, and increased predation, especially by feral cats. Researchers from Charles Darwin University are working with the Tiwi Land Rangers to investigate whether prescribed fire management can mitigate these declines.

This video (courtesy of the Threatened Species Recovery Hub) details some of the work being done under the Conservation Science at Deakin’s ARC funded research on planning for sustainable development and biodiversity on indigenous lands.

Video courtesy of the National Environmental Science Programme’s Threatened Species Recovery Hub