Hello my friends, in addition to the negative impacts caused by the 287 million feral rabbits, in recent years Australia's natural landscape and agriculture have also been significantly affected by other invasive species. These include feral goats, wild boars, feral camels and European red foxes. Most invasive species were brought to Australia in the 17th and 18th centuries by European explorers and settlers.
At that time these animals were brought to Australia for the purpose of recreational hunting and providing milk or meat. Over time animals that escaped or were intentionally released into the wild have bred and formed invasive species populations. in Australia's territory.
Similar to how invasive species are controlled in the United States, the Australian government also allows people to hunt and trap some invasive species in large numbers. In addition, economically valuable invasive species will be collected and sold by farmers to muster for lost production costs. The first goats were brought to Australia by British workers and miners in 1788 as pets and food.
After many years goats that escaped or were released into the wild established wild goat populations. Today there are about 2.3 million wild goats living in Australia. They are distributed mainly in semi-arid or hilly areas such as Western New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia and Queensland. Like the White-tailed Deer in the United States, the Wild Goats in Australia are also quite cute. However, a wild goat population of more than 2 million can cause major damage to Australia's agriculture and environment.
In states such as Victoria, New South Wales and Western Australia, herds of wild goats cause significant environmental damage by competing for food, water and shelter with native wildlife and livestock. In addition, herds of wild goats also have a negative impact on Australian agriculture by overgrazing on pastures, damaging crops and reducing farmers'profits. It is estimated that wild goats cost Australia's agriculture around $25 million each year, not counting their impact on the environment or degradation of grasslands.
In addition, wild goats are also considered to be the main cause of foot and mouth disease in cattle herds in Australia. Today the commercial exploitation of wild goats in Australia is an industry worth around 29 million dollars. Many Australian herders consider catching and selling wild goats an essential part of their business. This also helps them to minimize the economic damage caused by these millions of wild goats. Cattle ranchers and farmers in Australia often use motorbikes, horses and helicopters to muster hundreds of wild goats before selling them to goat meat processing plants.
On average, each male wild goat in Australia typically weighs about 132 pounds. And an adult female goat weighs about 97 pounds. The average price farmers get for selling a wild goat is about $13.70. In addition, hunting and trapping are also used to control wild goat populations in Australia.
Each year about 39% of the wild goat population in Australia is exterminated by a variety of methods. If left unchecked, the number of wild goats in this country would double every 1.6 years. In addition to wild goats, wild camels are also a problem for Australia's natural landscape and agriculture. It is estimated that in 2022 there are about 1.3 million wild camels living in Australia.
They are present in 53% of Australia's grassland ecosystems, including most of the arid regions of Western Australia, South and the Northern Territory and parts of Queensland. In the 1840s, the first camels were brought to Australia by the British to aid in the exploration of the remote and inhospitable parts of the continent. Until 1907, the number of camels in Australia was only about 21,000. and at this time they were not considered a problem. However, with the advent of motorized transportation in the 1920s, camel travel was gradually phased out and as a result all domestic camels were released into the wild.
Although camels do not have the ability to reproduce as quickly as rabbits, they are well adapted to remote lands and without natural predators. As a result, the number of wild camels in Australia has increased very rapidly. It is estimated that in the early 2000s the population of wild camels in Australia peaked at about 3.1 million. However, when control methods such as hunting, trapping and mustering were applied, the number of these animals was reduced by more than half. In Australia, wild camels have caused particular problems for people living in the areas where they are most common.
They can destroy fences and quickly completely destroy an area of vegetation by trampling and grazing. They can also deplete small reservoirs of water in arid areas. In addition, wild camels behave aggressively towards sheep and livestock, sometimes refusing to feed or drink with the animals. It is estimated that the economic loss caused by wild camels in Australia is about $17 million per year.
Of course, this reported figure is likely to be much lower than what millions of feral camels cause across mainland Australia. Currently the most common methods of controlling feral camel populations in Australia is aerial hunting by helicopter, mustering wild camels and then butchering them. In addition most governments in the Australian states allow people to hunt wild camels in unlimited numbers. It is estimated that each year around 103,000 wild camels are culled in Australia. In addition, between 9,000 and 13,000 wild camels die each year due to old age.
or other problems such as lack of food or the harsh climate. Each year the measures to control wild camel populations cost the Australian government about 19 million dollars. If population control measures are not taken the number of wild camels in Australia will double every seven to nine years. To this day millions of wild goats and wild camels remain a problem for the Australian government and farmers. In fact population control methods such as hunting or mustering are the best and most humane way to check their numbers in order to protect the interests of both local communities, farmers and Australia's native species.
Hello my friends, invasive animals have always been a problem for the government and farmers in the United States. In addition to common invasive species such as wild boar, white-tailed deer and coyotes, agriculture and the natural landscape in the United States is also affected by a multitude of other invasive species such as swamp rats, Canadian geese, beaver, raccoons, wild turkeys and wild horse. To limit the negative effects of invasive species, the US government often encourages affected people to use measures such as habitat destruction, trapping or hunting these invasive species to the extent permitted. These are Canadian geese, one of the most common wild geese in the United States and North America.
It is estimated that there are at least 7.3 million Canadian geese living in the United States today, and they are wild animals that cause quite a bit of trouble for farmers and the US government. In the beginning of March to the end of May every year is usually the time when Canadian geese nest and lay eggs. Their nests are often made right next to water bodies such as lakes or swamps. On average each female Canadian goose usually lays about five eggs and the eggs will then be incubated for about 25 to 32 days. depending on weather conditions.
For Canadian geese, incubation will be done by both male and females. Immediately after hatching, these geese are able to forage on their own, and their diet is similar to that of adult geese. In recent years, California, Oregon and Minnesota, are the states that regularly record large numbers of Canadian geese coming in to nest and breed. The stems and shoots of the grass are the favorite food of Canadian geese.
Therefore, it is very common to see flocks of Canadian geese roaming the grasslands in the United States. The fact that dozens or even hundreds of Canadian geese feed on the grasslands is also one of the problems that concerns many people because they leave while feeding is quite dirty. Young Canadian geese will live with their parents for about a year before becoming independent and they will need to about three months to learn to fly and be ready to migrate with the flock. In the wild baby geese are the preferred prey of carnivores such as foxes, Coyotes and Crows.
Currently due to rapid urbanization in the United States, spacious, manicured grasslands and artificial ponds are often the favorite place of the geese. The fact that dozens or even hundreds of geese live right next to human habitation, has caused many problems and this is why they are considered one of the invasive species of the united states geese are prolific and indiscriminate poopers these geese will poop once every 20 minutes and on an average day each adult goose will poop up to one and a half pounds of poop Having a flock of a few dozen Canadian geese living in a park would cause much of the park's grasslands to be destroyed. In addition, their droppings will make lakes and grasslands quite polluted. This not only causes problems in artificial grasslands and lakes, but flocks of Canadian geese will also be affected. geese can also be dangerous for flights.
It is estimated that every year around the world there are about 1,200 plane crashes involving geese. At several golf courses in the United States, workers employ drones to scare away the geese before the matches are played. When it comes to the problems of Canadian geese, we cannot ignore the noise pollution that this animal causes.
During the breeding season, the geese will fight with each other for the right to mate, and this is the time when they honk continuously. If you are unfamiliar with these sounds, chances are you will get annoyed and want to do something about these geese. Every September and October thousands of Canadian geese fly south to avoid the cold. During the migration, the geese may stop at grass fields to replenish their energy before continuing to fly. This is also a big problem for grain farmers because thousands of geese can cause significant damage to their crops.
Currently, there are many solutions to deal with Canadian geese in the United States. In particular, they allow hunters to kill geese, as a solution that has received a lot of agreement from people who are not sympathetic to this animal. Catching and butchering the geese is a short-term solution that is implemented.
Late June and early July is usually the time when Canadian geese molt. This is also the time when they cannot fly. Therefore, it is very easy to gather and catch them at this moment. Many charities do this in the United States and the goose meat is then distributed to needy families Next we will go to the US state of Louisiana to see how dealing with thousands of swamp rats works The swamp rat, also known as the nutria, is a large 20 pound rodent that lives in the coastal marshes of Louisiana and is now widespread throughout the southern United States.
Swamp rats are considered an invasive species because they often eat the roots of plants in the swamp to the point where they don't have a chance to regrow. They can feed on large swaths of marsh overnight leaving empty water in their path. According to the United States Wildlife Service, an adult swamp rat can give birth to 40 to 60 young per year.
This makes the population of this animal always a threat to the ecology of the wetlands. Currently, many parks in Louisiana have an abundance of swamp rats and the visitors often have a habit of providing food for them. However, as recommended by animal experts, the act of providing food for swamp rats can cause their numbers to increase rapidly and this will harm the landscape of the park. To deal with this invasive species, trapping and hunting are the two frequently used solutions.
To encourage people to exterminate swamp rats, the Louisiana government agreed to a six dollar reward for each swamp rat killed. After hunting the swamp rats, hunters will cut off their tails and bring the tails to receive the reward. In addition, authorities in the United States are also encouraging chefs to add swamp rat meat to their menus to reduce the number of this invasive species quickly. In addition to Canadian geese and swamp rats, wild horses are also considered a problem for cattle ranchers in the United States.
Wild horse populations have demonstrated a nobility. to grow at 18-20% per year. Widespread and overabundant feral horses wreak havoc on the rangeland ecosystem by overgrazing native plants, exasperating invasive estalabilisments, and outcompeting other undulates.
Cattle ranchers in the United States are the ones most affected by the feral horse problem. To solve the wild horse problem, the Bureau of Land Management gathers and removes feral horses from public lands to protect the health of animals and the health of the nation's public lands. In some locations, the Bureau of Land Management also uses contraception to slow the growth of wild horses.