ABOUT THE SPECIES
The KI dunnart is a small and highly cryptic nocturnal carnivorous marsupial and very little is known of its ecology. Listed as Endangered (EPBC), threats to the dunnart are feral cat predation, habitat loss through wildfire, land clearing and Phytophthora cinnamomi dieback and loss of genetic diversity through isolation of populations. It was previously known from 41 records from within Flinders Chase National Park and Ravine De Casours Wilderness Protection Area. Prior to the Kangaroo Island Land for Wildlife 2018 surveys, the dunnart had not been detected outside of public lands since 1979. It is estimated that KI dunnarts occur in approximately 27% of the eucalyptus woodlands on the western end of Kangaroo Island. The area of occupancy for the KI dunnart is therefore restricted to approximately 8% (352 km2) of the total area of the island (4405 km2), 95% of the KI dunnarts known range was within the summer 2020 fire zone. Image courtesy of Brad Leue/AWC.
ABOUT THE ORGANISATION
Kangaroo Island Land for Wildlife is a private land conservation program that supports landholders to protect critical habitat for many of Kangaroo Island’s threatened wildlife species, especially the endangered KI dunnart. We support landholders to survey, monitor and reduce all threats to the KI dunnart and other wildlife species. KI land for Wildlife has over 50 survey sites on private lands within the western end of the island which are monitored collaboratively by our team and the dedicated landholders we work with. We use wildlife cameras to monitor the species and are about to commence radio telemetry studies to improve our knowledge of the species ecology, behaviour and biology. We carry out intensive feral cat control activities using cage traps, detection dogs, spotlight shooting and felixer grooming traps. We also manage the spread of Pc dieback and educate landholders, school students and the community on best practice hygiene when entering and existing bushland areas that support the Endangered KI dunnart populations.
You can vote for KI Land for Wildlife and the KI Dunnart right here in The ANiMOZ Aussie Wildlife Vote 2020!