Tracking bait fate: reducing the 'unknowns' in baiting programs

Area of Science:

• Wildlife Ecology
• Conservation Biology
• Pest Management

Background:

• Poison baiting is a key predator management tool in Australia for conservation and agriculture.
• Camera trapping is used to study bait consumption and predator density changes.
• Limitations of camera trapping include missed detections and unknown bait fate.

Purpose of the Study:

• To trial mini-transmitters alongside camera traps to determine bait fate in Western Australia.
• To assess the effectiveness of toxic baiting for wild dog management.
• To improve upon previous bait fate studies.

Main Methods:

• Deployment of toxic baits with mini-transmitters in the Gascoyne region, Western Australia.
• Utilisation of 60 camera traps to monitor bait uptake.
• Analysis of bait fate outcomes and predator identification.

Main Results:

• A significant reduction in unknown bait fate outcomes (90% known fate).
• Confirmation of a single wild dog consuming a bait.
• Observed reduction in wild dog density post-baiting.
• Challenges with camera trap image quality for individual wild dog identification.

Conclusions:

• The baiting program effectively reduces wild dogs in the Gascoyne region.
• Mini-transmitters enhance knowledge of bait fate.
• Camera trap image quality limitations may affect wild dog density estimations.