Partners
Parks Victoria
Parks Victoria is responsible for the management of Victoria's parks and reserves, totaling 16% of the area the State. Management of overabundant native fauna such as koalas and kangaroos is a significant challenge both from an ecological as well as social perspective. We are looking to apply the findings of fertility control research to provide new tools to reduce the impact of overabundant native fauna as well as improve the effectiveness of current management programs.
Parks Victoria has a number of priority sites where overabundant native fauna are being managed or monitored. For koalas these include the manna gum woodlands of Mount Eccles National Park, French Island National Park, Snake Island and Raymond Island . For kangaroos these include vulnerable semi-arid and riverine woodlands in large parks in the State's north-west as well as a number of parks near Melbourne's urban fringe such as Woodlands Historic Park , Plenty Gorge Parklands and Serendip Sanctuary.
The University of New South Wales
The University of New South Wales has both field and laboratory facilities which form an essential part of the KKCP. Its field station at Cowan in the Northern part of Sydney houses nearly 200 tammar wallabies and about 50 eastern grey kangaroos. Tests on the effectiveness on physiological effects of the Suprelorin® contraceptive are being carried out on these animals. It is possible to recapture the animals so that long term studies are possible.
The University of New South Wales has excellent facilities for genetic typing of all the species which are the subject of our investigations. Microsatellite genetic markers are typed in the DNA sequencing facility in School of Biotechnology and Biochemistry.
The University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne has a major interest in marsupial biology. It has research facilities for endocrine and developmental investigations. It also has the capacity to supervise PhD and other research students.
The University of Western Australia
The University of Western Australia has Field stations at Shenton Park , Rottnest Island and Jandakot. At Shenton park there is a captive colony of quokkas on which we will conduct some of the captive studies for the project. The Harry Waring Marsupial reserve at Jandakot has a population of western grey kangaroos on which we will conduct experiments in a semi-captive situation. The research station on Rottnest will offer accommodation and facilities to students conducting fieldwork on the wild population of quokkas that live on the island. The University of Western Australia also has laboratory facilities to analyse milk samples, which will allow us to test the effects of the Suprelorin® contraceptive on lactating quokkas.
Department of Sustainability and Environment, Victoria
The Department of Sustainability and Environment is responsible for setting policy for the management of all public land and the sustainable management of flora and fauna throughout the State of Victoria . This includes a responsibility to develop strategies to manage populations of kangaroos and koalas where they are causing ecological damage, on both public and private land. Implementation of those strategies is the responsibility of the land manager, with advice and other assistance from DSE.
Department of Environment and Heritage, South Australia
Department of Environment and Conservation, Western Australia
The Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) is the lead agency responsible for conserving Western Australia 's rich diversity of native plants, animals and natural ecosystems, and many of its unique landscapes. On behalf of the people of Western Australia , DEC manages more than 24 million hectares, including more than nine per cent of WA's land area: its national parks, marine parks, conservation parks, regional parks, State forests and timber reserves, nature reserves, and marine nature reserves. DEC also has responsibility for managing fire and introduced animals on some 88 million hectares of Unallocated Crown Land in WA.
In 1996, DEC commenced a major fauna recovery program, Western Shield, in the south-west of WA. This involves the control of foxes over approximately 4 million hectares, and the translocation of threatened species into areas where they once occurred. As a result of broadscale fox control several species have become overabundant, and DEC is now seeking humane methods of controlling these populations. Examples of overabundant marsupial populations in WA include western grey kangaroos on golf courses and enclosed reserves, rock-wallabies on protected wheatbelt rock piles, tammar wallabies on North Island , and quokkas on Rottnest Island .
Peptech Animal Health Pty. Limited
Research by Peptech Animal Health has created a world class capability in reproduction control, as demonstrated by:
- The production of the a veterinary vaccine, Vaxstrate, for fertility control in cattle, and at the time of commercialisation a world first in its technology;
- The invention, development, manufacture, clinical trial and commercial sale of Ovuplant®, a product based on the Lutenising Hormone Releasing Hormone (LHRH) analogue deslorelin to regulate equine fertility; and
- The development of a unique, patented, long acting deslorelin contraceptive implant capable of long term, fully reversible, contraception in both small and large animals of both sexes.
Content Last Modified: Thursday, 9th November 2006.
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October 2006
In the press:
Australian scientists
to try contraceptive
darts on koalas.
For more info, click here.