Living with Wildlife - Managing Wildlife

Galahs digging up a lawn on a sports oval Photo: Fiona Fuhlbohm

Common Brushtail Possum Photo: Fiona Fuhlbohm

Juvenile Eastern Rosella Photo: Fiona Fuhlbohm

Little Corellas flocking around a stock water trough Photo: Barbara St John

Wildlife management is often thought of in terms of protecting, enhancing, and nurturing wildlife populations and the habitat needed for their survival. However, many species at one time or another require management actions to reduce conflicts with people or with other wildlife species.  Examples of conflicts include:

• Animal behaviour threatening human safety (eg birds swooping to defend their young in the nest, hazard to aircraft safety from flocking birds congregating on or near runways, aggressive animal),
• Damage to built environments / assets (eg buildings, sports ovals, fences, fouling products/goods),
• Damage to the natural environment (eg revegetation sites, flora / fauna conservation),
• Damage to crops and produce (eg cereal / grain, eating stock feed, fruit, vegetables, flowers).

Managing wildlife requires consideration of species conservation and ecology; animal welfare, community values and expectations, and the rights of people who are impacted upon as a result of wildlife behaviours. For example, species such as Adelaide Rosellas and Rainbow Lorikeets can cause significant localised damage to a range of commercial crops including apples, pears, cherries and apricots. Common Brushtail Possums may use the roof space of a building or house for shelter in the absence of large old gum trees with tree hollows.

Regulating the management of wildlife

In South Australia, we are responsible for regulating the management of wildlife in accordance with the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972.

We work co-operatively with people who are sustaining impacts from over-abundant or impact-causing wildlife by promoting early action planning and non-lethal approaches. Early action planning and non-lethal approaches can prevent or reduce the level of impacts being sustained back to an acceptable level. For example, non-lethal approaches would include the use of gas guns and netting of orchard crops to prevent bird damage.

In circumstances where wildlife are causing or likely to cause, damage to the environment or to crops, stock or property, or pose a health and/or safety risk, the Department for Environment and Heritage may grant a permit to destroy wildlife to allow landholders to destroy some animals to reduce the level of impacts being sustained and to reinforce the non-lethal methods being used. In practice, wildlife destruction should only be used as a last resort.

See Permit information