Central Land Council

Feral Animals

Their overall numbers have burgeoned in response to a series of good seasons with above average rainfall.

Traditional owners frequently express concern about feral ungulates in relation to their impact on traditional water sources including rockholes and soakage's, the decline of certain important resource plants and environmental degradation in and around living areas.

The CLC in recent times has worked extensively with traditional owners in the north west of the CLC region and the NT government on the control of feral donkeys and horses.

In response to the declaration of the Victoria River District as a pest control area in 2000 the CLC facilitated an agreement between the traditional owners of the Malngin and Malngin 2 Aboriginal Land Trusts and the NT Government allowing for the aerial shooting of feral donkeys and horses.

The CLC has also worked with traditional owners of the Hooker Creek and Daguragu Aboriginal Land Trusts on the removal of donkeys and horses. In this case a commercial pet-meat enterprise was contracted to take animals over a two-month period.

This arrangement provided additional benefits of employment and economic returns to the traditional owners.

Camels, donkeys and horses are an increasing management issue on Aboriginal Land Trusts in the CLC region.

Currently there are few broadly applicable options for mitigation other than aerial shooting and or pet-meating. Although export markets are developing for both camels and horses their impact on the wild populations will be insignificant.

The CLC is also working with traditional owners about the removal and disposal of feral horses moving in and out of Aboriginal land adjoining areas of the West MacDonnell National Park which posed a threat to passing tourist traffic.