The City's response to channels 9, 10, ABC, PerthNow and Fremantle Herald about turtle carcasses found at Bibra Lake, 1.5.24
Statement:
The City of Cockburn has been a steadfast and leading supporter of collaborative efforts to save the region’s endemic Southwestern Snake-Necked Turtle (
Chelodina oblonga) for many years.
The City’s Sustainability and Climate Change team has been instrumental in helping establish the Saving Our Snake-Necked Turtle (SOSNT) program in partnership with Murdoch University.
SOSNT followed a three-year Turtle Tracker pilot project established in partnership with the City and Murdoch University’s Harry Butler Institute between 2018-2021. At this time the pilot program’s creator Dr Anthony Santoro was a Murdoch University PhD student completing research in the City, getting his feet wet at Cockburn’s many turtle habitats, including Bibra Lake and Manning Lake.
This pilot program was so successful that Lotterywest provided a grant to the Perth South West Metropolitan Alliance in 2022, enabling the creation of SOSNT and its subsequent expansion into nearly 20 local governments in Perth and the southwest of Western Australia.
As global temperatures rise and our planet becomes drier in some parts as rainfall rates decline, the City is working hard to anticipate and meet the changing needs of the local environment.
The City is here for the long haul, and is prepared to continue with its concerted efforts over many years to help local turtle populations recover.
Key points:
- The Perth metropolitan area has experienced its lowest October-March rainfall period on record and there is very little water in our lakes. Southwestern Snake-Necked Turtles will aestivate (burrow underground) to conserve energy and body fat when lakes have dried up. This makes aestivating turtles very vulnerable to predation by foxes and other predators. Foxes are able to smell aestivating turtles from the surface before digging them up
- The City runs bi-annual fox control programs in City-managed conservation reserves. The programs are timed to align with fox breeding seasons to ensure this control is as effective as possible. The City’s pest animal controller has been attending Bibra Lake since April 8 and is still on site as part of an extended program
- To date, 11 foxes have been removed from Bibra Lake and North Lake Reserves as part of a collaborative program with the Department of Biodiversity Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) and Rehabilitating Roe 8. In total more than 20 foxes have been removed across the City. Foxes typically travel long distances over multiple landholdings when searching for food. Despite collaboration with other major landowners such as DBCA, the large home range of foxes makes controlling them very difficult. The focus is to reduce fox numbers to a manageable level to give native species the best possible chance, along with other turtle conservation strategies. Bibra Lake is a hot spot for fox activity because foxes travel from other areas to hunt waterbirds and turtles which are currently more vulnerable with the record low water levels. Timing of fox control to coincide with their breeding seasons is the most effective way to keep numbers down. The trapping program is the most effective control method suitable for the urban environment, under the guidance of the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development. Fox control | Agriculture and Food
- Residents in the City’s ‘Rural’ zone can access funds via the Landowner Biodiversity Conservation Grants Program to enhance turtle habitats on private land. Groups of residents can also collaborate to access these funds to control foxes. This program is only effective if a group of multiple landowners collaborates to provide essential coverage for fox control. The City is happy to assist landowners.
In response to the discovery of about 100 turtle carcasses at Bibra Lake in late April the City has:
- Extended the length of the autumn fox trapping period in City-managed reserves this April. The extension is due to observations of increased fox activity due to optimal hunting conditions in drying lakes caused by record low rainfall
- Continued to complete coordinated feral animal programs to reduce predation on native species. These programs target foxes and cats
- Collaborated with other major land managers such as the DBCA and neighbouring local governments to time feral animal control to reduce the number of safe places for foxes
- Supported volunteers to protect turtle nests as part of the Save Our Snake-Necked Turtle (SOSNT) campaign
- Provided funding for feral animal control to residents in the Rural zones as part of the Landowner Biodiversity Conservation Program
- Enhanced the quality of terrestrial turtle habitat through ongoing weed management and revegetation. Good quality native vegetation reduces exposure to predators when turtles leave the lake to nest.
The City will also:
- Meet with the Bibra Lake Turtle Tracker volunteers and SOSNT to discuss future actions
- Continue to seek advice from turtle conservation experts at Murdoch University, with whom the City works on an ongoing basis
- Collaborate with WA Wildlife and research institutions to search for ways to protect aestivating turtles during the dry season
- Explore the possibility of increasing fox control across the region in collaboration with agencies like DBCA and other land managers
- Continue to liaise with the Water Corporation to determine the feasibility of using stormwater to refill the dry lakes, when rain is plentiful
- Installation of a fauna underpass on Progress Drive, Bibra Lake. Underpasses have already been installed on North Lake Road and Osprey Drive.
The community can help by:
- Continuing to report instances of predation to the City. Please do not go out looking for foxes as they are highly sensitive and they will likely avoid areas if they feel like they are being monitored. Scaring foxes away from traps reduces the effectiveness of control programs. Searching for foxes during trapping is also dangerous
- Continue to report instances of turtle predation via the TurtleSAT smartphone app or reported directly to the City
- Continue to participate in the SOSNT campaign and Turtle Tracking program using the adopted nest protection methods with SOSNT and DBCA. Encourage others in the community to join
- Apply for funding from the Landowner Biodiversity Conservation Grants Program via the City of Cockburn website.