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Context: Toxic meat baits are the most effective broadscale method used for reducing the densities and impacts of feral cats (Felis catus) on vulnerable Australian native fauna when alternative prey is minimal. Aims: Our aim was to assess the efficiency (proportion of baits removed by target animals) and effectiveness (proportion of target animals removed) of Eradicat ® baits and to identify how their use may be improved in Southern Jarrah Forest ecosystems of Western Australia. We sought to determine how, when, and where best to deploy baits using the current Eradicat ® bait prescriptions to maximise the reduction of feral cats. Methods: Eradicat ® uptake trials were conducted over a 15-month period using remote sensor cameras (RSCs) to observe animals interacting with the baits at 40 sites. Ten successive baiting trials were conducted, each involving four randomly selected sites (two replicates for each of two bait deployment methods: clusters and transects). Key results: The fate of 5658 Eradicat® baits at 2000 bait locations was recorded during 54,361 camera trap nights. Despite occupancy rates being high for cat and fox (Vulpes vulpes), (92% and 84%, respectively), the efficiency and effectiveness of Eradicat ® baits was low for both introduced predators (cat: 0.1% and 10–12%, respectively; and fox: <0.6% and 8–20%, respectively). There were no major differences in baiting efficiency in relation to bait deployment method or time of year. More than half (56–58%) of the baits were removed by non-target animals prior to an introduced predator being observed on camera at the bait location. Along transects, there were more cat and fox visits closer to tracks and surface water features. Foxes were also more likely to visit bait locations closer to private property. Younger cats appeared to be more interested and more likely to eat a bait than older cats. Conclusions: Substantial improvements could be made by increasing bait availability (reducing non-target interference), detectability and attractiveness to cats. Implications: Additional introduced predator threat abatement methods may be needed for the conservation and recovery of many threatened native mammals in the Southern Jarrah Forests and elsewhere in Australia. Feral cat baiting should be conducted within an integrated and holistic invasive animal management system. Improving the management of feral cats is paramount for the conservation and recovery of many threatened Australian mammals. This study found that the efficiency and effectiveness of Eradicat ® baits in the Southern Jarrah Forests of Western Australia were low. We provide recommendations for improvements within an integrated and holistic invasive animal management framework to deliver better biodiversity conservation outcomes. Photograph by Marika Maxwell/DBCA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prescribed burning is the primary method used to reduce wildfire risk in a range of ecosystems globally. Knowledge of how animal populations respond to prescribed burns is essential for designing fuel management plans that are sensitive to ecological values. We conducted a before–after, control‐impact experiment in the temperate jarrah forest ecosystem of south‐western Australia to examine how reptiles respond to season of burning (spring or autumn) and time since burning (0–5 years). Through pitfall trapping at 10 survey grids over 7 years, we captured 1808 reptiles from 22 species. Bayesian mixed effects models revealed that six of the eight species analysed showed either a decrease or increase in capture rate at burnt compared to unburnt sites, and most of these effects only occurred within the first 2 years post fire. Species richness showed a weak negative response to one autumn burn and no relationship with time since fire. Fire effects were more common in autumn compared to spring burns, which is likely a reflection of differing fire severities. These results suggest that prescribed burning can temporarily reduce habitat suitability and abundance for some species, particularly those that rely on leaf litter for shelter and foraging. Our findings emphasise the dynamic nature of reptile responses to prescribed burns and underscore the importance of considering both fire seasonality and recency of burning in wildlife management plans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Predator free havens are increasingly relied upon to preserve populations of imperilled species, yet despite their substantial cost, the success of these ventures is rarely critically evaluated. Aims: Based on 12 years of population monitoring data, we report on the translocation of woylies (Bettongia penicillata ogilbyi) to Perup Sanctuary, a 423 ha predator-free haven in the south west of Western Australia. Methods: We built spatially explicit capture–recapture models to estimate population density, population growth rates, and survivorship of woylies inside the sanctuary. Using these estimates, and additional demographic information, we aimed to show key drivers of population density, evaluate the establishment of the sanctuary population against predetermined translocation success criteria, and run simulations of different sampling designs to determine a robust sampling design for future monitoring of this population. Key results: The population rapidly increased in the first 3 years (2010–2013), and then fluctuated around a density of ~0.9 woylies ha−1 before declining slightly in recent years to ~0.6 woylies ha−1. All translocation success criteria evaluated were met. The previous 3 months' rainfall was a key driver of population density and body weight declined over time, indicating that the population may be regulated by food resources. Conclusions: Woylies have established and persisted in Perup Sanctuary, and against the criteria, the translocation of woylies into Perup sanctuary is a success. Harvests from this population appear to have been sustainable. We discuss these findings in the context of the Perup Sanctuary, and recommend ongoing monitoring continue to ensure that the population remains viable and well managed. Implications: We describe important considerations for the supplementation and harvest of fenced populations, including: the source of animals (selecting free-living individuals over captive ones); the timing of release (releasing more individuals early on may improve establishment probabilities); and rates of harvest (<30% of adults harvested per generation seemeded to be sustainable for woylies in this case). The results from this study can inform the ongoing management of this and other havened populations, to ensure they continue to benefit mammal conservation. In response to predation from introduced predators, imperilled Australian mammals are increasingly preserved in predator-free havens, yet detailed monitoring of such populations is rarely reported. This study describes the establishment of Endangered woylies in a predator-free sanctuary in Tone–Perup Nature Reserve, Western Australia, revealing estimates of the growth and health of the population. Recommendations are made for the strategic management of this and other havened populations to improve conservation outcomes. Photograph by Natasha Harrison. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conservation havens free of invasive predators are increasingly relied upon for fauna conservation, although havened populations can lose anti‐predator traits, likely making them less suitable for life 'beyond the fence'. Sustaining low levels of mammalian predator pressure inside havens may prevent the loss of anti‐predator traits from havened populations. We opportunistically compared behavioural and morphological anti‐predator traits between four woylie (Bettongia penicillata ogilbyi) populations– one haven isolated from all mammalian predators, one haven containing a native mammalian predator (chuditch; Dasyurus geoffroii), and their respective non‐havened counterparts (each containing both chuditch and invasive predators). Havened woylies existing without mammalian predators were smaller (shorter hindfeet, smaller body weight) and less reactive (consumed more food from fox‐treated and control feeding stations, less agitated during human handling) than a non‐havened reference population. However, in the haven containing chuditch, we found no difference in behaviour or morphology compared to the adjacent non‐havened population. Across populations, anti‐predator responses tended to appear stronger at sites with higher predator activity, suggestive of an adaptive response across a gradient of predation pressure. Our findings suggest that maintaining mammalian predation pressure in conservation havens could be effective for preventing or slowing the loss of anti‐predator traits from these populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines three Sinophone cultural texts to suggest that Sinophone studies can draw from its affinities with historical and linguistic studies to question the conceptual boundary of "premodern" imperial China. Through case studies of Hou Hsiao-hsien from Taiwan and Saisai (Xi Xi) and Wong Bik-wan from Hong Kong, the article proposes "deep imperial time" as a Sinophone historical poetics and cultural strategy of deimperialization. Artists turn their Sinophone sensibilities into a historiographical method that intervenes in nation-centric history and performs a capacious form of localization. Marginality from the normative nation-state and interimperial positionality compel them to enact decentered visions of historical Chineseness and imagine anti-imperial solidarities with the margins of different imperial formations across history. The article concludes that Sinophone studies can contribute to the conceptual enlargement of decoloniality by incorporating subaltern experiences in contesting non-Western empires. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding animal behaviours, such as anti-predator responses, that may affect the outcomes of conservation efforts is important. We developed a measure of boldness and agitation throughout the cage trapping process specific to woylies (Bettongia penicillata ogilbyi). The method requires simple answers to questions clearly defined in an ethogram to ensure it is objective and has minimal impact on animal welfare. Across two woylie populations with varying exposure to predators, the measure proved repeatable within individuals, and captured a wide variety of behavioural phenotypes, making it a robust and valuable tool for quantifying the behaviour of woylies and potentially other mammals. Understanding and measuring the behaviour of wild animals is important for implementing effective management strategies. In this study, we describe a new method built around existing monitoring techniques (cage-trapping) that measures how agitated or bold a woylie (brush tailed bettong) is. After trials on two woylie populations, the method proved successful, showing consistent responses from the same individuals, making it a valuable tool for preserving and managing populations of woylies and other mammals. Photograph by Natasha Harrison. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Invasive predators are major drivers of global biodiversity loss. Red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and feral cats (Felis catus) have contributed to the decline and extinction of many native species in Australia. The deployment of poison baits to control fox populations is a widespread conservation tool, but the effects of baiting intensity, rainfall and prey abundance on baiting effectiveness remain poorly understood. Aims: We aimed to understand what influences the association between fox baiting intensity, red fox activity and feral cat activity, to provide inferences about what might affect the effectiveness of fox baiting in reducing fox activity. Methods: We used generalised linear models to assess how fox and cat activity changes in relation to fox baiting intensity, rainfall, native prey availability and distance to agricultural land over a 6-year period (2006–13) in the forest ecosystems of the Upper Warren region of south-western Australia. Key results: We found that fox activity was negatively associated with rainfall in the previous 12 months and positively associated with prey abundance and fox baiting intensity. We also found an interaction between fox baiting and prey abundance, with fox activity increasing with prey activity in areas of low and moderate baiting intensity, but remaining constant in areas of high baiting intensity. Feral cat activity was positively associated with prey abundance and fox baiting intensity. We found no clear relationship between fox and cat activity. Conclusions: The drivers of the association between fox baiting and fox activity are unclear because intense fox baiting was targeted at areas of known high fox abundance. However, our results indicate that intense fox baiting may be effective at decoupling the positive association between fox activity and prey abundance. Our results also suggest a positive association between fox baiting intensity and feral cat activity, thus supporting the case for integrated fox and cat management. Implications: We caution interpretation of our results, but note that management of invasive predators could be improved by adjusting the intensity of management in response to changes in environmental conditions and local context (e.g. strategically conducting intense predator management where prey abundance is highest). Improved understanding of these associations requires a monitoring program with sufficient replication and statistical power to detect any treatment effects. Invasive predators are major drivers of global biodiversity loss. Red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and feral cats (Felis catus) have contributed to the decline and extinction of many native species in Australia. We aimed to understand what influences the association between fox baiting intensity, red fox activity and feral cat activity. Although the association between fox baiting and fox activity is unclear, our results indicate that fox baiting may be most effective at decoupling the positive association between fox activity and prey activity. Our results also suggest a positive association between fox baiting intensity and feral cat activity, meaning integrated fox and cat management is required in the Upper Warren. Image created by the authors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]