• Threatened Species

• Global Conservation

• Australian Conservation

  • Southern Corroboree Frog
  • Little Penguin
  • Malleefowl
  • Regent Honeyeater
  • Long-nosed Bandicoot
  • Brush-tailed Rock-Wallaby
  • Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat

• Research

• Wildlife Hospitals

• AMMRC

  • Marine Mammal Fast Facts

• The Australian Registry of Wildlife Health

• Australian Shark Attack File

  • General Information
  • Shark Research

• Field Grants Program

  • 2008
    • Rainforest Rescue
    • Endangered Primate Rescue Centre
    • Department of Environment and Climate Change
    • Taronga Western Plains Zoo
    • Cuc Phuong Turtle Conservation Centre and Asian Turtle Conservation Network
    • Cheetah Conservation Botswana
    • Asian Rhino Project
    • Biodiversity & Elephant Conservation Trust
    • Taronga Zoo
    • National Parks Association
    • Nature Fiji
    • Way Kambas National Park
    • UNSW
    • Silvery Gibbon Project
  • 2009

• Zoos, Conservation and Education

Bush Rats Bring Biodiversity Back: combining restoration ecology and reintroduction biology to preserve bushland.

The presence of black rats in Sydney Harbour National Park is destructive and of particular concern because of high conservation value of the area and its high public profile. Native small mammal communities (bush rats, Antechinus, pygmy possums) are largely extinct throughout the park and have been replaced by black rats. Black rats have lead to severe ecosystem dysfunction with significant flow-on effects for the parks biodiversity. Our project will provide a deep understanding of the critical factors which influence pest success in displacing native biodiversity, and take the first steps in reversing these factors.

The success of our project will elucidate the problem of high densities of black rats in bushland by introducing a self sustaining population of native bush rats. Bush rats will likely suppress black rat populations via competitive exclusion processes without the need for further management action and financial costs. With the success of our project, we will take the first step in fauna restoration in the local Sydney foreshore area.  In addition, by providing key information for reintroduction and management strategy, we also hope to optimize biodiversity in a broader sense.