A prickly delight at Middle River Reservoir Reserve

A partnership between SA Water and Kangaroo Island Land for Wildlife (KILFW) to remove feral cats from the Middle River Reservoir Reserve is showing signs of success, with an endangered native animal species being spotted in the area for the first time since the 2020 bushfire.

During the past six months, 19 feral cats have been removed from the reserve and surrounding areas, using a combination of humane techniques such as cage traps and monitoring cameras.

SA Water Land and Recreation Officer Andrew Vredenburg said this work has most recently been rewarded with a sighting of an endangered Short-beaked Echidna, a sub-species of those found on the mainland.

“This type of echidna is listed as endangered in the Australian Government’s 100 priority species as part of the Threatened Species Strategy Action Plan – 2021-2026, and is one of 20 mammals on the list,” Andrew said.

“While we sometimes see evidence of echidnas at Middle River, such as dig marks in the dirt, sightings are few and far between. It was therefore really exciting to see one during a recent site inspection and know our efforts to remove pest animals from our land are helping protect an endangered species.

“The 2020 bushfire left Kangaroo Island Echidnas even more vulnerable, with the loss of vegetation and habitat to take shelter in, placing further pressure on the local population.

“Native animals are also more susceptible to predators in the aftermath of bushfires, with cats in particular able to hunt more efficiently in post-fire landscapes.”

SA Water’s land management team recently spent time with KILFW in the Middle River Reservoir Reserve, sharing knowledge and experience on the feral cat trapping program and learning what supporting technology is available.

“Twenty cage traps are set up around the reserve, along tracks and in areas that we know feral cats move and hunt in,” Andrew said.

“The traps are set over two-week periods, and then checked within 12 to 24 hours. As we move into summer, our cage trapping will slow down, with alternative methods of feral cat control to be considered.

“We are also using motion sensor trail cameras to locate feral cats within the reserve, with images from the cameras helping us track their movement and identify any cats outsmarting the traps – we are aware of at least one large male cat that has learned to stay away from any trap.”

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