Hi Wild Deserts Supporters, in this newsletter (catching up over the last 6 months): Lake Pinaroo dries out in pictures, greater stick-nest rat translocation, annual ecological monitoring, Mutawintji Board of Management visit, new information shelter and tours for visitors, and lots of interesting research projects, from microbats to reptiles and feral cats.

As part of our 10-year partnership with NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, a pilot translocation of greater stick-nest rats was carried out during May 2023. This species follows on from the successful releases of four other mammal species in recent years. Like these other species, stick-nest rats were once found across much of inland Australia, with historical records from Sturt National Park, but were wiped out over a century ago by competition from rabbits and predation by cats and foxes. However unlike some of the omnivorous marsupial species that we have successfully reintroduced to Sturt, stick-nest rats are known to be one of the most difficult species to translocate. 

These native rodents are herbivores and rely on succulent long-lived vegetation. This makes for some challenges in modern day Sturt National Park, where long-lived food plants have been impacted by historical landscape grazing from rabbits, livestock and overabundant kangaroos. Stick-nest rats are also known for their tendency to stress during capture and handling; vulnerability to predators and susceptibility to heat impacts and food shortage during drought. These have contributed to translocation failures in other parts of Australia and so we took a cautious and staged approach, resulting in the translocation and release of an initial pilot group.

A team of Wild Deserts staff and volunteers travelled to Reevesby Island off the coast of lower Eyre Peninsula, South Australia. Over two nights, 32 stick nest rats were caught and sent by charter boat, then plane to Sturt National Park in custom transport boxes with a smorgasbord of food plants from the source site. They were released after dark into the most suitable microhabitats near suitable forage plants and burrow complexes.

All rats were in excellent condition upon release, but despite the intensive logistics and diligence by the on-ground team, they unfortunately began to die within two days post release. The team immediately consulted with other field practitioners and veterinary staff at Taronga Conservation Society, who helped to suggest possible causes and remedial actions. However after 5 days, we recorded mortality of about 75% of individuals. This unprecedented event was unexpected, including those experienced in previous greater stick-nest rat translocations to other sites. 

Postmortems were inconclusive but suggested the most likely cause of death was dehydration, perhaps combined with some stress and/or malnutrition. The wetter, cooler island environment and sudden change to the drier landscape in Sturt National Park was likely a factor, despite the daily provision of supplementary wet food to all animals after release. It is possible that the presence of crest-tailed mulgara at our release site, who are now in high densities following our successful translocation in 2020, may have contributed to post-release stress to the rats. Previously it was thought that stick-nest rats were too large to be prey for mulgaras. Three surviving stick-nest rats were rescued and restored to good health and transferred to Monarto Zoo in South Australia to join a captive breeding population.

The Wild Deserts team is documenting lessons learnt and recommendations for future translocations of this species to be published as a peer-reviewed scientific paper to ensure that such learnings are adequately documented and communicated to other translocation practitioners.

Wild Deserts’ core annual ecological monitoring was undertaken during April, with over 30 people participating in the surveys, including 13 volunteers, 3 NPWS staff (and their families) and local community members.

Pitfall trapping resulted in the capture of 885 vertebrates, including 519 reptiles, 366 mammals. Early results suggest mammal captures were 15 times higher inside the exclosures than outside. This increase was dominated by dusky hopping mice, which are flourishing inside the exclosures. In contrast reptile captures were lower inside the exclosures. 

A large interpretive signage shelter, installed in February, is the final piece of infrastructure from the Sturt’s Steps Touring Route project for Sturt National Park.

The large shelter houses six 3.5 m interpretive signage panels, with one hosting a solar-powered screen. Initially this motion-activated screen will play a 3 minute video on the ecosystem changes since Sturt’s 1845 visit and the restoration work underway in Sturt National Park. The signage also features first nations language, local plants and animals, local history of former Fort Grey Station and Lake Pinaroo site.

The Sturt’s Steps project has provided cash contributions to tourist infrastructure in the Wild Deserts-managed area of Sturt National Park, with in-kind contributions in design, project management and administrative matters by Wild Deserts and NPWS. Previous pieces included the three recycled netting sculptures that were installed in 2021.

Our students at Wild Deserts have a diverse range of research projects underway.

Congratulations to Manita Patino who recently received First Class Honours for her project on the Ecology of Lake Pinaroo as a Ramsar-listed site. 

Congratulations also to Madeleine Rudder who recently handed in her Honours Thesis investigating the uptake and movement of 1080 fox and wild dog baits in Sturt National Park.

Welcome to Honours students Joshua Magro and Charlotte Hogan who have started projects based at Wild Deserts.