❓ A parliamentary question regarding the decline of the numbat population in Western Australia, its causes, conservation status, and estimated numbers. The Minister provides answers detailing threats and conservation efforts.
AnsweredQoN 955Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
NUMBAT —
POPULATION
955. Hon LYNN MacLAREN to the
minister representing the Minister for Environment:
(1) What are
the reasons for the numbat population decline?
(2) What is
the primary threat to the numbat population?
(3) What is
the current conservation status of the numbat?
(4) Does the
government recognise that numbats are threatened by habitat loss through land
clearing?
(5) How many
numbats are estimated to be in the wild?
POPULATION
955. Hon LYNN MacLAREN to the
minister representing the Minister for Environment:
(1) What are
the reasons for the numbat population decline?
(2) What is
the primary threat to the numbat population?
(3) What is
the current conservation status of the numbat?
(4) Does the
government recognise that numbats are threatened by habitat loss through land
clearing?
(5) How many
numbats are estimated to be in the wild?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for some notice of this question.
(1) The numbat
has suffered an extensive decrease in geographic range, population size and
area of occupancy since European settlement. This has been due to a number of
factors, including altered fire regimes, predation by foxes and feral cats, and
in some areas loss of habitat through clearing.
(2) There are
a number of threatening processes currently affecting the numbat. While loss of
habitat and decline in quality of habitat has contributed to the decline in
numbers currently, a major threatening process affecting the population is
predation from foxes and feral cats.
(3) The numbat
is currently specially protected under the Western Australian Wildlife
Conservation Act 1950, with an International Union for Conservation of Nature
equivalent ranking of ''vulnerable'', and is also listed as
vulnerable under the commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation
Act 1999.
(4) See (2)
above.
(5) It is
estimated that there are approximately 1 000 numbats in the wild in Western
Australia.
(1) The numbat
has suffered an extensive decrease in geographic range, population size and
area of occupancy since European settlement. This has been due to a number of
factors, including altered fire regimes, predation by foxes and feral cats, and
in some areas loss of habitat through clearing.
(2) There are
a number of threatening processes currently affecting the numbat. While loss of
habitat and decline in quality of habitat has contributed to the decline in
numbers currently, a major threatening process affecting the population is
predation from foxes and feral cats.
(3) The numbat
is currently specially protected under the Western Australian Wildlife
Conservation Act 1950, with an International Union for Conservation of Nature
equivalent ranking of ''vulnerable'', and is also listed as
vulnerable under the commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation
Act 1999.
(4) See (2)
above.
(5) It is
estimated that there are approximately 1 000 numbats in the wild in Western
Australia.
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