What do predator diets tell us about mammal declines in Kakadu National Park? - Findings Factsheet

This study compares the diet of two mammalian predators (dingo and feral cat) in Kakadu National Park based on fieldwork conducted in the 1980s and again in the 2010s, a period over which most small and medium-sized native mammal species declined precipitously. Notwithstanding this decline, we found that both predator species are still consuming native mammals as prey, including many species that are now rarely captured by researchers, with this predation pressure likely to continue to drive declines. Natural resource management in Kakadu National Park and northern Australia more generally may need to consider not only the management of predators but also the management of factors that may compound their impacts, notably fire and feral livestock.