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In today’s world, concerted efforts and technological advancements can pave the way for real change when it comes to conservation. These steps help restore nature and protect animal populations, allowing them to increase in numbers.
On Australia’s Kangaroo Island, innovation is doing just that, The Guardian reports. A 3-kilometer electrified fence separates the Dudley Peninsula from the rest of the island, helping protect wildlife on its 38,000 hectares. In addition to drones, traps, and AI, the fence is one of the many tools used to protect native wildlife from one of their biggest threats: feral cats.
A Third of the Island
In the summer of 2019-2020, massive bushfires raged throughout Australia, devastating the country and its wildlife. On Kangaroo Island, a third of the island burned. But fire wasn’t the only danger. Officials warn feral cats also prey on vulnerable native animals such as the greater bilby, numbat, and Gilbert’s potoroo, pushing them towards extinction.
Since the creation of the Dudley Peninsula eradication program, run by the KI Landscape Board (KiLB), the cat population has sunk from about 1,600 to 150. The Kangaroo Island Landscape Board uses a combination of drones, thermal optics, and cameras, with AI helping tell the difference between cats and other animals like kangaroos to find and remove the predators. The hope is to eradicate the feral cat population from Kangaroo Island entirely.
Bouncing Back
Now, the vulnerable populations on Kangaroo Island are bouncing back, according to ABC. The Australian Wildlife Conservancy, for instance, believes that the Kangaroo Island dunnart population has increased by 90 to 100 percent, though it’s a bit challenging to obtain exact estimates due to the shy nature of dunnarts.
Likewise, birds such as the Bassian thrush and the western whipbird have now been sighted within the fenced area. "We didn't have any of those birds living within the feral cat exclusion fence at the time of construction, but they've found their way back there,” Pat Hodgens, a principal ecologist at the Australian Wildlife Conservancy, tells ABC.
Despite predators on the island throughout the years, recent actions illustrate the power of technology to make a positive difference. The efforts on the island have shown that the right combination of high-tech tools can save the day and help wildlife populations make a comeback.
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