Invasive deer eradicated on Wild Duck Island after beaches trashed

What was likely a single illegal act back in 2005, resulted in a picturesque Australian island being trashed. Fresh water sources became muddied, trees stripped of their bark, and important sand dunes were eroded. But experts in pest control have now fought back.

The culprits behind the destructive acts on Queensland’s Wild Duck Island were herds of feral deer. It is believed the deer were originally brought to the island as part of an abandoned tourist venture. Over the years they were trampling the nesting grounds and eggs of the flatback turtle, a docile species that feeds on jellyfish, molluscs, sea cucumbers and invertebrates, and is sadly threatened with extinction. Their presence on the sand was also preventing the slow-moving reptiles from leaving the water.

To combat the escalating mess, in 2018 the Department of Environment (DESI) pulled out the big guns — literally. In phase one, an aerial and ground program was launched to control the numbers. Then four years later thermal imaging was used to track down the most elusive individuals.

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Turtles return to nesting grounds

Deer numbers have exploded across Victoria, NSW and Tasmania, primarily because successive governments have protected them as a hunting resource. Like feral horses and pigs they've destroyed the habitat of native species. And in the last few years they've been discovered wandering into backyards, and causing accidents on roads.

"Feral deer trash, they trample, and they pollute our environment. They're a serious pest," the Invasive Species Council told Yahoo News in June.

While deer will likely never be eradicated from mainland Australia or Tasmania, on smaller islands it's now clearly possible to do so.

By February this year, remote cameras placed around the island failed to detect any rusa deer. And the 330 hectare island, which is situated between Rockhampton and Mackay, has now been declared free of the pest.

"Eradication of an invasive animal can be very difficult but this program showed it can be successful on Queensland’s islands," the Department of Agriculture's Michael Brennan said.

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The success on Wild Duck Island follows the removal of rabbits and rodents from remote Macquarie Island and cats, goats and sheep from Dirk Hartog Island in Western Australia.

With the deer gone, rangers have observed turtles successfully nesting again. “It’s a great win for the Island’s wetland ecosystems as well as the flatback turtle rookery and is a great outcome for the conservation of a threatened species,” ranger Steve Burke said.

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