Honours
2025Masters
Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (Australia, South Perth) - DPIRD, Australian Wildlife Conservancy (Australia, Subiaco) - AWC, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (Australia, Perth) - DBCA, Kimberley Rangelands Biosecurity Association, Dunkeld Pastoral Co
2019–2024The distribution, behaviour and environmental impact of feral pigs in the Kimberley. Feral pigs (Sus scrofa) were first documented in the Kimberley Region almost a century ago, and were reported as occurring in small, isolated patches of habitat, at the mouths of the Fitzroy and Isdell rivers. In the time since, they have slowly increased in population size and geographical extent. Today, feral pigs are reported across important conservation areas in the central Kimberley, and their continued expansion triggered the current investigation. This thesis includes a literature review and two research chapters:
• Study 1 made use of 1,437 known locations for pigs over a 10-year period from 2009 to 2019 to model the potential distribution of feral pigs under current climatic conditions in the Kimberley Region. Modelling used MaxEnt to create a set of models which explicitly included or excluded measures of survey bias to examine the effect on distribution predictions. In this case compensating for survey bias increased Maxent’s ability to discriminate suitable from unsuitable habitat and showed that pigs may potentially increase their distribution range by up to 27%.
• Study 2 analysed satellite telemetry data collected for 24 feral pigs across five sites in central and north Kimberley to investigate sex, body size and environmental influences on range area for feral pigs in the Kimberley. Male pigs had larger home ranges than females. Maximum temperature was a significant driver of male home range size, with smallest home ranges for the hottest months (around August), when feral pigs were most constrained to permanent water ways.
Seasonal variation in home range size can inform effective management of this species, identifying the time of year when feral pigs are most constrained to water and therefore have restricted movements. Findings of this study contribute to the existing understanding of feral pig distribution and behaviour in the Kimberley and should prove a useful tool for land managers.