To see Mark delivering this presentation, go to our Youtube channel here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IgoW-bqcyg

1. Reducing feral camel impacts across remote
Australia:
Australian Feral Camel Management Project
21st November 2013, Parliament House Theatre, Canberra

2. Session Three: Achievements and Outcomes
Speakers:
Mark Lethbridge, Ecoknowledge
Jayne Brim Box, Northern Territory Government
Sam Rando, Central Land Council
Karl Hampton, Ninti One
Lyndee Severin, Curtin Springs Station
Jan Ferguson, Ninti One

3. What have we learnt about feral camel movements,
population dynamics and management
Dr Mark Lethbridge

4. Camel monitoring and removal planning
•
Satellite Tracking
Habitat utilisation – removal planning
Finding animals – Judas collars
•
Aerial surveys
Monitor changes in the population
Distribution – removal planning
•
Decision Support Tools
Removal cost estimation
Finding animals – Judas collars

5. Satellite Tracking

7. Dunes

8. 2007 Aerial
Survey
and
2007-09
Tracking
data
+

9. • From conference

12. Mandora
DeGrey
Rudall
George Hill
Petermanns
West MacDonnell
Glen Helen
West Finke
Hay River
Channel
Uluru
Dalhousie
Goyder
Algebuckina
Serpentine
Eyre
Mound springs
Bulloo

13. Aerial Surveys

14. 400 metres - added for low
densities
200m strip

15. 32%
30%
200 metre strips
600 metres strips
28%
Estimated Precision
26%
24%
22%
20%
18%
16%
14%
12%
10%
8%
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
Esimated density of camels
0.4
0.5
0.6

16. Simpson culled mobs (av=15.1)
100
GVD recorded mobs (av= 4.7)
80
70
60
50
40
Ξ 200 m
30
20
10
Sample effort % (transect width dependent)
8.3
8
7.8
7.5
7.2
7
6.7
6.5
6.2
6
5.7
5.5
5.2
5
4.7
4.5
4.2
4
3.7
3.5
3.2
3
2.7
2.4
2.2
1.9
1.7
1.4
1.2
0.9
0.7
0
0.4
Percentage +/- error of abundance estimate
90

17. Target assets
Now
Buffer
0-50km
0-50km
0-50km
0-50km
0-50km
0-50km
0-50km
0-50km
0-50km
50-100km
50-100km
50-100km
50-100km
50-100km
50-100km
50-100km
2008
Density
Serpine Lakes
Algebuckina Waterhouse, Lake Eyre, Lake Eyre Mount Springs
Goydor Lagoon
Dalhousie Spring
Hay River & channel Country
Western MacDonnell Ranges, Glen Helen Mound Springs, Uluru Kata
Tjuta, Petermann Ranges
Rundall River National Park
DeGrey River
Mandora Salt Marsh
Bulloo River and Lake
Serpine Lakes
Goydor Lagoon, Algebuckina Waterhouse, Lake Eyre, Lake Eyre Mount
Springs, Dalhousie Spring, Hay River & channel Country
Western MacDonnell Ranges, Glen Helen Mound Springs, Uluru Kata
Tjuta, Petermann Ranges
Rundall River National Park
DeGrey River
Mandora Salt Marsh
Abundance
Density
Abundance
0.21
0.03
0.04
0.10
0.04
4172
0.40
0.22
0.21
0.24
0.26
7779
0.22
0.03
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.22
24748
1439
744
1043
3136
6669
0.05
0.30
0.03
0.00
0.01
0.74
0.27
0.02
0.04
0.00
0.36
4251
2596
18518
82423
12239
11074
0.28
25959
1418
0.74
0.11
0.03
0.04
64581
5121

18. In target asset areas + 100kms
Aerial Survey and Kriging interpolation/extrapolation
•
•
Population in 2008 208,582
Population in 2013 69,328
139,254
•
Known Removals
Unaccounted for
~123,000 or 58.9% loss
~16,000

19. Uncertainty away from asset areas
•
Aerial surveys targeted changes in density in and around assets
– good agreement with removal data
•
Much greater uncertainty of camel densities well away from survey
areas.
– project focus was on removals, thus limited aerial survey coverage
•
The 2008 map used older survey data back to 2001, corrected for a 9%
per annum increase in population growth rate.
–
Assumed no movement and constant growth rate – the latter now unlikely
•
Accordingly, the 2013 map only uses 2013 data – thus conservative
•
Analysis methodologies have improved.

20. ??
?? ??
2008
?? ??
??

21. ??
??
2013

22. Other findings
•
Large losses of camels in the Simpson Desert and poor condition animals
seen further to the west
- Very low rainfall period after good season and fire
•
Population modelling now suggests rainfall has an influence and the average
population growth rate may be as low as 5%
- A research question but currently no funding to support this work

23. Kriging estimate
2008
Improved estimate
600,000
2013
Now more likely
300,000 – 400,000
Unlikely there has been a net population growth over the period of the project
with more recent fire and drought conditions.
600,000 – 160,000 known removals = 440,000
- so 40,000 – 130,000 unaccounted for.

24. SA – Simpson Desert May 2010

25. SA – Simpson Desert October 2010

26. NT – Simpson Desert Sept 2012

27. NT – Western Desert March 2012

28. NT – Western Desert July 2012

29. WA – Ngaanyatjarra/Kiwirrkurra October 2011

30. WA – Ngaanyatjarra/Kiwirrkurra March 2012

31. Decision Support Systems

32. 22
20
WA
18
Frequency as a Percentage
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
Sighted Distance from Aircraft (m)
SA
NT

35. Broader Decision Tool
Estimate site-specific
removal costs

39. www.nintione.com.au