Appendix2: Examples of advanced DFTD compared to non-DFTD

Typical advanced-stageDFTDshowinglargetumoursonthejawareawitha‘lobulated’ appearance,thickpus.Tumoursareoftenhollowed-out.

CODEOFPRACTICE

forthetrappingand destructionof wallabiesand brushtailpossums inTasmania

November 2009

FORCROP-PROTECTION ANDCOMMERCIALPURPOSES

Non-DFTD - Lumpyappearancedue tobuild-upofsoftscartissue.

Non-DFTD - Open fightwound,

notstickingoutfrombody.

ContactandEnquiries:

WildlifeManagementBranch

DepartmentofPrimaryIndustries,Parks,WaterandEnvironment

GPOBox44 HOBART,TAS7001

Ph:(03)6233 6556

Web:

Email:

Wildlife Management Branch

Department of Primary Industries Parks Water and Environment

November2009

1.Introduction

This Code ofPractice applies to persons responsible for thelive trapping and destruction byshooting ofTasmanian pademelons (Thylogalebillardierii) and Bennett’swallabies,(Macropusrufogriseus),hereaftercollectivelyreferredto as “wallabies”, and/orbrushtail possums (Trichosurusvulpecula), hereafter referred to as“possums”.

ThisCodeisbasedonknowledgeandexperienceofthelivetrappingforthepurpose ofdestruction ofwallabiesandpossumsandthetechnologyavailableatthetimeof publication. TheCodewillbe revisedas required,totakeintoaccountadvancesin technologyandunderstanding ofphysiologyandbehaviour, aswellasexpectations oflandmanagersandthegeneralcommunity.

Tasmanian pademelons, or rufous wallabies, Bennett’s wallabies and brushtailpossumsare abundant across much of Tasmania, dueinlarge part to land-use changesandtheplantingofcropsandpasture.

Insomeareastheanimals damage cropsandtreeseedlings andmaycompete for foodwith domestic stock. Localised population reduction bytrappingand destructionisseenasonemanagement tooltoreducedamagetocrops.

Duetotheirrapidflightresponseintoundergrowth whenapproached,wallabiesare noteasilytakenbyshooting. Equally,suchbehaviourmakesthempronetoinjuriesif capturedinconventionalcagetrapsthathavenotbeendesignedtoaccountfortheir behaviour. Conversely,possumsarerecognisedasadaptableanimals,notas easily stressed bytrapping asmanyother native species,andtheuseofcagetraps (see photosanddescriptionpage6)isacceptablewhentrappingthisspecies.

2.RegulatoryRequirements

Wallabiesand possums areprotected in Tasmaniaunderthe WildlifeRegulations1999oftheNatureConservationAct2002. Thehuntingortrappingofthesespecies cannotbeundertakenwithouta licenceorpermitfromtheDepartmentofPrimary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment (DPIPWE) and approval from the landholder. Permitscanbe obtainedbyphoningtheWildlifeManagementBranch (contactdetailsatendofthisdocument). Trappingactivitiesmayonlybeconducted onlandusedforprimaryproduction.

UndertheAnimal WelfareAct1993,apersonwithcontrolorcustody ofananimal hasa legaldutyof careforthewelfareof thatanimal. Thisdocumentspecifiesthe requirementsto be followedbypersonsinvolvedin live trappinganddestructionof wallabiesandpossumsforcropprotectionandcommercialpurposes.

a.

b.c.

Above: a.MerseyBoxTrapinclosedandopenposition. b.IvoEdwardstenttrapsin variousdesignsandsizes. c.Tenttrap:‘Stubby2’design.

Possums:

(Theabovetraps,approvedforwallabies,arealsosuitableforpossums).

TraditionalCage Traps: Cagetrapsmustbenosmallerthan60cmlongby30cm wide by30cmhigh. Cage trapsshould beconstructed using weld mesh orother material which iscapable ofsecurelyconfining possums andminimising theriskof injury. Themeshsizemustbenogreaterthan25x50mm,topreventfacialandother injuriesinpossumsandnon-targetspeciessuchasbettongsandpotoroos. Thedoor maybeslidingorswingtype.

Duetotheopenmeshstructureofthecagetrap,usersmustmakeeveryreasonable effort toensure thatthepossumshaveprotectionfromtheelements-particularly directsunlight,injury,painor stressandprotectionfromdomesticdogsandnative predators. Trapsshouldbeshelteredbyahessian,nylonorplasticcover.

Above: Exampleoftypicalcagetrapusedforthecaptureofbrushtailpossums.

Thetrappedanimalmustbepromptedintotheholdingdeviceinaquickandhumane manner. Trappersmaynotuseanelectricprodorelectronicdeviceoranysharpened implementforthepurposeofremovinganyanimalfromatrap. Deathofthewallaby orpossum(seesection4)mustoccurassoonaspracticalaftertheanimalmovesinto theholdingcage. Liveanimalsarenottobetransported offthecapturesiteunlessa specialpermithasbeenissuedfromDPIPWE.

Above: Exampleoftypicalholdingdeviceusedforshootingwallabiesandpossums.

4.HumaneDestructionofTrappedWallabiesandPossums

Wallabiesandpossums, including young-at footorback-young, shouldbekilled as earlyaspossibleonthemorningfollowingcapture.

Itisimportantthathandlingoflivewallabiesandpossums,otherthanforprompting intoaholdingdevice(seesection3),isavoided. Ifhandlingisunavoidable thenthe animalmustbehandled minimally andquietly before shooting toensure theyare notdistressedoralarmed.

Themethod ofkillingcaptured animals must beeffective incausingasudden and painlessdeath. Thepreferredmethodisasingleshottothebrainwitha.22calibrefirearm,whilsttheanimalisinaholdingdevice(wallabies/possums) orcagetrap (possums). Low-velocityammunition may be used. If one shot fails to cause immediate lossofconsciousness, then asecond shotmustbe appliedassoon as possibleafterthefirstshot. Followingcollapse,animalsshouldbeimmediately bled- outtoensure arapiddeath. Shooting ofwallabies orpossums inholding devices shouldtakeplaceawayfromthetrapsoasnottocontaminatethetrapwithblood.

Pouch- and back-young: Female wallabies and possums must be examined for pouch-young as soon aspossible after shooting, with any pouch-young being humanelykilled. Inthecaseofnakedyoung,killingbydecapitationwitha sharp instrument is recommended. Inlarger pouch- or back-young,aheavyblow or a singleshottothebrain(asdescribedabove)mustbeused,followedbybleeding-out. Possumback-young mustnotbereleasedandmustbeshot,evenifoffthebackina trap,assurvivaloftheseanimalsisveryunlikelywithoutthemother.

5.Non-TargetAnimals

Non-target animals caught intrapsmustbeexamined before immediate release at thesiteofcapture. Animals should bereleased inanareaofcoveratornearthe trappingsite. Trappersshouldnotethatsomeanimals,suchas bettongs,areeasily stressed,causingfemalestoabandontheiryoung. Handlingoftheseanimalsshould therefore bekepttoanabsolute minimum. Shouldanyanimalbeseriously injured anddeemedtobesufferingintheextreme,itispermissibletoeuthanasethatanimal onwelfaregrounds(asforTasmaniandevils,seebelow).

TasmanianDevils (Sarcophillusharrisii) with visible signsofDFTD: Shoulda TasmaniandevilwithobviousDevilFacialTumourDisease(DFTD;large suppurating, hollowed-out lumpsonfaceorjaw,vitaltodistinguish fromcommonsoftscartissue; seeAppendix2)becaughtinatrap,thetrapmustbethoroughly cleanedtoremove allfaecalmaterial anddisinfected (e.g.withbleach) beforeitisreturnedtouseon thetrapline.

ShouldatrappedTasmaniandevilwithverysevereadvanced-stageDFTDbesuffering intheextreme,itispermissibletoeuthanasethatanimal. Generally,onlydevilswith verylargetumoursthatrestrictfeedingmayrequireeuthanasia. A judgementon whether toeuthanasemustbemadeonwhetherthedistressadevilissufferingis wellbeyondthenormandmustbemadeingoodfaith:thedecisiontoeuthanasemustbemadeonanimalwelfarereasonsalone. Beforeeuthanasing afemaledevil, everyeffortmustbemadetocheckforthepresenceandgrowth-stageofanypouch- young orforlactating teats. Ifafemale devil haslargelactating teats(young are likelydenned),orfully-furred pouch-young, euthanasiamustnotbecarried outas theyoung mayyetbeweaned. Itispossible thatfemaledevilsmaybesupporting young atanytimeoftheyear. Occupational healthandsafety considerations are simplythesameasappropriatewhenhandlinganyanimalspecies.

Whenever practical,euthanasia oftrappeddevilsshouldbeundertaken bya veterinarian, howeveritispermissibletoeuthanaseinsitu. Euthanasiainsitushould besuddenandpainlessusingasingleshottothebrainwitha.22calibrefirearm. If oneshotfailstocausesuddendeath,thenasecondshotmustbeappliedassoonas possibleafterthefirst shot. Anyunfurredpouch-young aretobe killed as for wallabiesandpossums(seesection4).

Anyeuthanasiaof Tasmaniandevils(includingpouch-young)mustbeimmediately reportedtotheWildlifeManagementBranch(seecontactdetailsattheendof this document)andthecarcassmustnotbedisposedofuntilafterconsultation.

Appendix1:DescriptionofApprovedTrapTypes

Wallabies:

TheMerseyBoxTrap: TheMerseyboxtrapisawirecage60cmlongandopenat oneendwithawidthof32cmandaheight of31cm. Ithasametalmeshfloor, ceilingandsidewallsandsolidmetalbackwall. Thedooris a metalsheetwitha rubberisedbasethatfallsverticallyalongrailsinordertocovertheentrance. When thetriggermechanismisactivated andthedoorcloses, asolidmetalcoverfallsin placeto protecttheanimalfromcomingintocontactwiththewiremeshwalls, minimisingtheriskof abrasionsandprovidingprotectionfrompredatorsandthe elements. Thedark,enclosedspaceassistsinkeepingthetrappedanimalcalm.

Duetoitssize,theMerseyboxtrapisnotrecommendedwherethelargerBennett’s wallabyistheprimarytargetspecies.

Allexisting trapsarerequired tohaveanew wire added tothesidebetween the bottom andsecond wirestopreventanimalsfromgettingtheirheadcaughtunder thelid. Allfuturetrapsneedeitheranewwireorasmallermeshsizeonthesides. A meshsizeof7.5x5cmispermitted,except forthebottom 2rowswherethemesh sizeshouldbe3.5x5cm.

TheIvoEdwardsTent Trap: IvoEdwardstent trapsareavailable in several different designs and sizes, andmodelsare regularly updated and refined. Their commonfeaturesare acollapsible lightweight metalframecovered with astrong flexiblefabricsuchasnylon. Theycontainnoconventional doorbutratheraspring- loaded opening provided by a hingedframethatcollapses to contain the animal whenittreadsonatripplatebeneaththefabricoratriggerattherearofthetrap.

InanEdwardstrap,physicaldamagetotrappedanimalsisavoidedbecausewallabies jumping againstthesidesandroofofthetrap,canonlyimpactsoftfabric. Possible taildamagefromdoorclosure isavoided byarubbercovering ofthedoor frame. Theirrelativelylargesizeprovidesroomfortrappedanimalstoturn,moveaboutand standupright,andthewater-repellant fabricprovidesprotection fromtheelements andpredators. Thesensitivity ofthetrapscanbeadjusted toavoidcatching small non-target species such as bettongsand potoroos. IvoEdwardstenttrapsare availableinsizessuitableforbothTasmanianpademelonsandBennett’swallabies.

Modifications: Newdesignsor significantmodificationtoapprovedtrapdesigns, includingsize,materials,triggermechanism,etc.mustbe broughttoDPIPWEfor attentionand reviewbeforethey may be used. Evidencesuch asvideofootage, photos andtraprecordsmustbeprovided toclearlydemonstrate thatanewtrap designmeetsanimalwelfarerequirements beforeapprovalforuseisgranted.

2.ApprovedTrapTypesforCaptureofWallabiesandPossums

Bennett’s wallabiesandTasmanianpademelons: Conventional wiremeshcage trapsusedfortrappingpossumsarenotacceptableforthecaptureofwallabies. Wallabies capturedandheldinsuchtrapsarelikelytosufferseverefacialabrasions duetotheirbehaviour. DescriptionsofapprovedtraptypesaregiveninAppendix1.

Brushtailpossums: Cagetrapsmaybe usedwhenspecificallytrappingpossums,however approved wallaby traps arealsosuitable forpossums. Snares andjawed trapsarenot permittedtobeused. Approvedcagetrapdesignsaredescribedin Appendix1.

General: Alltrapsmustberegularlycleaned,maintained andchecked forbroken wires,sharpedgesandprotrusionsthatmaycauseinjuryortrapmalfunction.

Wherever possible,trapsmustbesetinsheltered locationsthatreduceexposureto direct sunlight, extremeweather,domestic dogsandnativepredators. Trapsmust notbesetonorclosetoEuropeanwaspnests,oraggressive,stingingantnests(e.g.‘Bull-ants’ or ‘jack-jumpers’). Trap positions must be inspected when settingto ensurerocks,sticksorotherdebriswon’tpreventtrapsfromclosingcorrectly. Traps mustnotbesetinlow-lying areassubject toflooding. When using cagetrapsin areassubjecttoextreme frost, iceandsnow,orareaspopulated bybettongs, the trapsshouldbeelevatedandsetonstumpsorlogsetc.

TheWildlifeRegulations1999requirethatsettrapsmustbeinspectedandclearedat intervalsnotexceeding 24hours. Trapsshouldbeinspected andclearedasearlyas practicaleachmorning.

3.HoldingDevice

Theuseofaholding device, suchasacageorhandnet,ismandatoryforshootingwallabiescapturedintraps,however possumsmaybeshotineitheracagetrapor holdingdevice.

Thepurposeoftheholdingdeviceistobriefly,firmly,butgently,physically restrain theanimalinordertodeliveralethalshotinsuchawayastominimisestressorthe riskofanon-lethalshot. Theholdingdevicemustbeofadesignappropriate foruse withthetrapforthecaptureofthetargetspecies.

Theholding device must beregularly cleaned and maintainedand checked for brokenwiresorwebbing,sharpedgesandprotrusionsthatmaycauseinjuries.