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New alert brochures for emerging pests

Media release : 3rd March 2009

The Department of Agriculture and Food in Western Australia has produced two further National Animal Pest Alert brochures to raise awareness about the risk of new invasive species establishing in Australia.

The four page colour brochures cover the domestic ferret and the rusa deer, and are two of a series of six being produced.

Alert brochures already published focused on the Indian ringneck parrot, the house crow and common myna bird. The final alert, about the red-eared slider turtle, will be published soon.

The principal author of the alerts, department technical officer Win Kirkpatrick said the alert brochures were designed to further educate the public about the risks the pests posed to agriculture, the environment and the community.

“We want to raise community awareness about these emerging pest species and encourage the public to be vigilant because there is a great reliance on the public to responsibly manage and report pest species,” she said.

Ms Kirkpatrick said the new brochure on the ferret distinguished the non-native mammal from similar-looking native animals, and included a description and information on its behaviour and potential impact in Australia.

“The rusa alert compares the species with red, sambar and fallow deer,” she said.

Ms Kirkpatrick said photographs of them living in the wild in Australia and New Zealand had been included in the brochures.

The pest alert brochures are being produced with support from the Australian Government’s Bureau of Rural Sciences and have been endorsed nationally by the Vertebrate Pests Committee and relevant state and territory authorities. They are being distributed throughout Australia.

Ms Kirkpatrick said the brochures used results from risk assessments conducted by the Department of Agriculture and Food in Western Australia.

”The Western Australian public is encouraged to report any unusual sightings to the department’s Pest and Disease Information Service on freecall 1800 084 881,” Ms Kirkpatrick said.

The National Animal Pest Alerts can be obtained by downloading them from the department’s website at:

Animal Pest Alert Rusa Deer 

Animal Pest Alert Ferret

New pest alerts on the domestic ferret and the rusa deer have been produced by the Department of Agriculture and Food.

Media Contacts

Win Kirkpatrick, technical officer Katrina Bonser/Lisa Bertram, media liaison

9366 2322 9368 3937 / 9368 3325