Living with Wildlife
Many native animals play a particularly important role in the natural environment through pollination, nutrient recycling, dispersal of seeds, and a number of other important ecosystem functions. Such functions assist in balancing the ecosystem so that it can provide produce as well as enjoyment for humans.
As larger areas become inhabited by humans, and as more and more people choose to live on rural blocks, human interaction with native animals has increased dramatically. For many, this is a pleasurable experience; however in some cases these interactions may cause anxiety and frustration for residents. For instance, flying foxes make considerable noise during the night / early morning, scrub fowl can cause substantial damage to gardens, snakes may enter people’s homes causing distress or threatening wellbeing, and possums may reside in roofs causing noise and mess.
If the problem is minor and infrequent, it may be worth considering the benefits that these animals provide to the environment and to tolerate it as best you can – remember that before it was your backyard, it was their home! However, if this is an ongoing or intolerable problem, there are a number of non-intrusive activities that you can undertake in order to reduce the nuisance that is caused. Nevertheless, it is important to remember that all native animals are protected under the Territory Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act, and it is therefore illegal for residents to interfere with these animals without an appropriate permit.
The information contained on this website is designed to provide information to residents about the benefits of a number of different native animals for the environment, and to present various tips on what might be done to reduce interactions or inconveniences caused by nuisance animals. If you do decide to attempt to dissuade native animals from coming into your yard, consider and approach other residents in your area – some of these people may enjoy interacting with ‘nuisance’ wildlife, or may be engaging in activities to keep them in the area!
