07/09/2005 – Some of Australia’s
most iconic wildlife is threatened with extinction
in the face of an invading horde of alien
species, according to WWF.
Toads, pigs, foxes, and rabbits are just
some of the alien invaders that threaten to
decimate entire populations of native plants
and animals in Australia.
WWF estimates there are over 54,000 species
of plants and animals facing the threat of
extinction in Australia. Some of the species
most at risk include the iconic northern quoll,
greater bilby, and flatback turtle.
"Pressures placed on Australian wildlife
by invasive species is adding to the threats
of land clearing and climate change and pushing
many thousands of species to the brink,"
said Andreas Glanznig, a senior policy advisor
with WWF-Australia.
“Unless we act now we could face a future
where there is little to do but watch one
precious species after another disappear.”
Last year, 20 new plants and animals were
added to Australia’s Threatened Species List.
The country now has 1,602 plants and animals
facing the immediate threat of extinction.
“Invasive plants and animals have already
either altered or completely overtaken many
millions of hectares of native bushland around
Australia,” Glanznig added.
Cane toads have spread across much of northern
Australia after being introduced in the 1930s
to control a beetle in Queensland’s cane fields.
The cane toad is a ground-dwelling predator
and eats any prey it can fit into its mouth,
including small lizards, snakes, frogs and
their tadpoles, marsupials and mice, snails,
and terrestrial and aquatic insects.
They are also highly toxic and will kill
any animal that attempts to eat them, including
the iconic northern quoll whose numbers have
declined since the arrival of the toad.
“The problem of extinction is multi-faceted
and the solutions need to be as well, involving
science, advocacy, and community action,”
said Glanznig.
“It is crucial that we marshal all the resources
at our disposal so that all threats to our
wildlife – including land clearing, introduced
weeds and animals, and climate change – can
be tackled.”
Australia marks National Threatened Species
Day on September 7 – the day in 1936 when
the last Tasmanian tiger died in captivity
– with hundreds of volunteers gathering around
the country to help restore habitat for threatened
plants and animals.
NOTES:
Endangered northern quoll: The northern quoll
once occurred across northern Australia from
the Pilbara of West Australia to south-eastern
Queensland. Its range has become fragmented,
largely over the last few decades and it is
now only found in six main locations. The
reasons for the species’ decline include the
arrival of cane toads, land clearing, and
changing fire regimes.
Greater bilby: The greater bilby is an iconic
threatened marsupial that used to live in
much of mainland Australia. These days it
is restricted to drier desert areas in the
Northern Territory and Western Australia and
to a small corner of south-western Queensland.
The decline of the greater bilby population
can be attributed to predation by introduced
foxes and feral cats.
Superb parrot: The superb parrot is a striking
bird found in three States of Australia. Already
under threat frm land clearing and loss of
habitat, this species is faced with another
challenge – the introduced Indian myna bird.
Indian myna birds were introduced to Australia
in 1862 to control insects but soon spread
and have now pushed a number of native birds
closer to extinction.
