Australian native species of animals and birds have been affected by introduced species for thousands of years. The dingo, which is believed to have been in Australia for 3,000 to 4,000 years, has undoubtedly contributed to the loss of some native species and there is some evidence that the cat arrived in Australia well before the first European settlers in 1788. The loss of native species has increased dramatically since then and introduced animals and birds, together with habitat destruction, have been major causes.

The way we control our household pets and the ways in which we encourage native species into our gardens can have a considerable impact on the well-being of those native species.

Native animals of all major groups are present in Australia....mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians (frogs and toads), fish and invertebrates (animals without backbones). Almost all native birds and animals are protected…yes, even snakes! No one is entitled to harm a snake unless it is posing a serious threat and, even then, it should be a last resort. Many bites occur when someone is attempting to kill the animal. See "Snake and Spider Bites".

In the bush many native animals are rarely seen as they are most active at night. Reptiles are common, particularly skinks, and the sight of a large goanna scaling a tree at full gallop is not soon forgotten.

In the Blue Mountains there are currently 16 species listed as being either "Vulnerable - V" or "Endangered – E" as defined in the Threatened Species Conservation Act, 1995. Because of their rarity, these species, are unlikely to be sighted:

In the Blue Mountains about 45 native mammal species have been recorded. There are three groups; the monotremes, like the platypus and echidna; the marsupials, including kangaroos, possums and koalas; and the placentals, such as the flying fox and other bats. The most commonly seen native mammals near bushland are probably possums and bats.

◊ Possums

.....are cute and cuddly but, when they are partying in your roof in the early hours, it's difficult to be tolerant and their droppings can present a health hazard. To control them, block off access when they leave at night to forage.

• Prune any overhanging branches.
• Block gaps in eaves or walls.
• Obtain a possum trap from National Parks and Wildlife Service. Note that possums do not relocate successfully and trapped animals should be released unharmed on the same property on the day of capture.
• Consider providing possums with alternative accommodation. Nest boxes for possums are similar to those required for larger birds (see below ). Contact…???

◊ Bats

There is probably more folklore associated with bats than with any other animal but, despite the image portrayed in many B-grade horror movies, they don't attack humans...or, at least Australian ones don't!

There are two groups of bats:

• Small, insect eating species which live in tree hollows, rock crevices and sometimes in roof and wall cavities of houses. Occasionally these animals are seen flying around at dusk.
• Large "flying foxes" which nest in colonies in trees in bushland and feed on nectar-laden flowers and fruit. They can cause considerable damage to fruit trees but protection can be provided with taut, 40mm nylon netting which is available commercially. Note that fine, loosely hung netting can cause birds to become entangled.

Bat Lissavirus has been identified in Australian bats and it is transmittable to humans by infected animals. Avoid contact with bats and, if bitten or scratched, clean the wound thoroughly and seek medical attention. It's a serious disease but a vaccine is available.

Most birds are active during the day and these are the most common types of wildlife seen in the bush and in gardens near bushland areas. The variety of birds that inhabit quite small areas would amaze most people. A basic identification book is a great investment.

◊ Encouraging Native Birds

Many people like to provide food to encourage birds to visit. But is it a good idea?

In most cases, it isn't., and not just because a flock of sulphur crested cockatoos can destroy your house!

Four good reasons not to feed native birds:

• Artificial food is like "junk food". It rarely supplies all the requirements of the birds' diet and can adversely affect their health.
• Some diseases can be transmitted through several birds feeding out of the same bowl.
• Birds can become dependent on the artificial supply and cease foraging.
• Pest species are often the birds most encouraged - and do you really need more Indian Mynas?

By far the best way to encourage birds into the garden is to create as natural an environment as possible:

• Plant a range of trees and shrubs of varying heights. This will attract both ground-feeders and those which live in the higher branches. A list of suggested native plants.
• Include nectar producing species to attract honeyeaters (e.g. Australian natives such as grevillea, banksia, callistemon, eucalyptus and exotic plants such as protea).
• Not all birds are honeyeaters so plant a range of other types of shrubs. Berry-producing species such as "lily-pillys" will attract fruit-eating birds and legume-producing species such as acacia provide food for some parrots.
• Insects attract birds and a good bird population will help keep insects under control, meaning that pesticide use can be reduced.
• Plant prickly foliaged species (e.g. some hakea species) to give protection to small birds.
• Provide a shallow water supply at a safe height and location to minimize danger from cats.
• Provide artificial nesting boxes.
• If possible, plant local species. These will encourage local birds and will not become a weed threat to bushland.

◊ The Problem with Magpies!

Magpies are the real larrikins of the bush; they are bold and cunning. Attacks during the breeding season in spring can, however, be distressing, particularly for young children. Only relatively few birds attack and, in most cases, the birds don't make any actual contact. There are some ways to minimize the problem.

• Wear a hat - this may prevent attacks or at least give some protection.
• Walk a different route during the "bombardment season".
• After an attack, watch the bird. Magpies rarely attack if watched.
• Wear headwear with "eyes" painted on the back. This aims to fool the bird into believing it is being watched. At the very least it will amuse the neighbours!

If the problem can't be resolved contact the National Parks and Wildlife Service for advice.

◊ Magpies and the Law

Remember also that, like most Australian native animals and birds, magpies are protected. It is therefore an offence to harm them.

◊ Tree Hollows and Nest Boxes

Many birds and other animals use hollows in dead trees or in dead branches as nests. In urban areas, however, the availability of hollows is rare. Suitably designed nesting boxes can encourage native birds into a garden, and even perhaps possums or bats! If you notice them being taken over by pest species, the boxes should be removed.

◊ Birds and Windows

The thud of a bird flying into a window or glass door is an all too familiar one. Sometimes the bird is just stunned but then becomes easy prey to an alert cat. Often, however, the collision is fatal. To minimize the problem try:

• Keeping curtains drawn.
• Putting visible objects inside the window.
• Attaching transfers of bird silhouettes to the glass surface.

If a bird does fly into your window and remains stunned on the ground, carefully remove it from potential predators. You can put it in a dark safe place (eg. a cardboard box with a lid) for a couple of hours then release it by removing the lid and allowing it to fly off if it is able to do so. See WIRES contacts in the case of injured birds.

The Wildlife Information and Rescue Service (WIRES) is a non-profit organization which operates under license from the National Parks and Wildlife Service. If you find an injured, sick or orphaned animal, WIRES will put you in touch with a trained rescuer.

◊ Bower Bird Bowers

It's difficult to believe that a grassy tunnel decorated with all sorts of blue-coloured objects (clothes pegs, drinking straws, berries) would be used by a male Satin Bower Bird to woo a female. What's even more surprising, though, is that it seems to work!

Please leave bowers untouched. You might spoil a beautiful relationship......

Reptiles include snakes, lizards, skinks, geckos, dragons, goannas and tortoises. They are cold blooded animals and most are active mainly on warm days where they like to rest in a warm place...like a bitumen road! Please watch out for them.

◊ Snakes

The Blue Mountains bushland is home to 19 snake species, the most common being the Red-bellied Black Snake. Although venomous, this species injects venom inefficiently and there has only been one recorded death from a black snake bite. These snakes are of most risk to children or to the elderly but rarely strike unless provoked.

Other dangerous snakes which may be sighted are the Eastern Brown, the Tiger Snake and the Death Adder. All are highly dangerous. See "Snake and Spider Bites".

Pythons such as the beautiful Diamond Python may also be encountered. These are large, robust snakes which are not venomous, but that doesn't mean that they can't bite!

◊ Lizards

Some lizards, particularly blue-tongued lizards, are easily caught, but please don't try! It will only cause them unnecessary stress and, their bite, although not poisonous, can be painful and become infected.

But if you do happen to come in contact with a lizard, there is no truth to the tale that contact can cause skin allergies.

◊ Tortoises

These marvellous creatures are most commonly seen crossing roads (or failing to cross roads). If you see one, please stop and gently move it from the road in the direction it was travelling.

By the way, avoid putting a tortoise in your car. They urinate when stressed and it's a smell not easily removed!

Scientists tell us that frogs are disappearing. Perhaps this is a sign that humans are making a mess of the environment. Please look after frogs on your property. They tend to squeeze into dangerous places, such as window frames.

This group includes insects, spiders, worms and snails. Many are important in recycling organic waste. As a food source for birds, reptiles and other animals, they are an important and much overlooked part of the ecosystem.

◊ Spiders and Ticks

Perhaps surprisingly, spiders and ticks belong to the same group of animals. Their bodies are divided into two parts and they have four pairs of legs.

Spiders are invaluable in controlling pests such as mosquitoes and, while it's no fun to walk into the web of a St. Andrew's Cross Spider, the experience won't do you any harm! And the web is a miracle of engineering...or was until you walked into it!

There are four dangerous spiders in the Blue Mountains area - the Funnel Web, the Red Back, the White-tailed Spider and the Mouse Spider. Learn to identify these and try (please!) to live with the rest. See also "Snake and Spider Bites".

Tick bites can cause weakness, nausea and paralysis. They have also been associated with lyme disease although this association remains controversial in Australia. A tick injects its head into the skin leaving its body exposed and feeds on blood. To remove a tick, use fine tweezers and grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible. Gently pull out the tick with steady pressure. If necessary, seek medical attention.

◊ Ants, Bees and Wasps

These belong to the same biological order and have much in common. In particular, they have a high degree of social and co-operative behaviour.

Ants have a highly advanced social order. Their nests are mainly underground but their activities usually take place on the ground and in trees. They have a varied diet and have been known to "farm" aphids on plants and feed on the sweet secretions. Leave ants alone wherever you can as they are important recyclers and do little damage.

Unlike the European Honeybee, native bees pose no threat to humans. The most common are those in the genus Trigona which are smaller than the honey bee and stingless.

Native wasps, too, are "good guys" although it may be difficult to appreciate that fact if you've just been stung by a native paper wasp. They will usually only attack if their nests are disturbed. Generally, though, wasps have an important role to play in pollination of flowers and in keeping other insect numbers in check.

◊ Cicadas

It wouldn't be summer in the Australian bush without the sound of the cicadas! They are beautiful and colourful insects which are easily caught. But please don't try! A cicada's life above ground is brief and for the male, noisy, and it needs all the time it has available to find the perfect mate.

Cicadas feed on the sap of trees but cause no noticeable damage.

◊ Earthworms and Leeches

These two animals are closely related; they have round bodies marked externally into rings or segments.

Most soils contain earthworms, although they are more numerous in soils which have a high humus content. There are many native earthworms but those found in gardens are usually introduced species.

It's hard to love a leech, particularly when one has invited itself to lunch on your foot! An acceptable way to remove them is to scrape them off with a knife blade or a fingernail. This will cause the animal to fall off the body but will not kill it. It's also possible to flick a leech off the skin when it arches towards its front.

Conservation of wildlife depends on knowledge of the natural distribution and abundance of animal populations. Banding programmes, for example, help wildlife managers design conservation and recovery plans.

If you find a banded animal, contact the Australian Bird and Bat Banding Scheme. You should record the band number, date and location. If the animal is dead, the band should be removed and sent to ABBBS. You can also contribute sightings to the database of NSW Wildlife compiled by the National Parks and Wildlife Service. This database is being updated to allow more useful access by individuals and organisations.

Pests are species which were deliberately introduced or which have "escaped" from captivity or domestic animals which have been "dumped" by unthinking people. Pest species impact on native wildlife in a number of ways, including:

• by hunting; pests, like cats and foxes, prey on native birds and animals.
• by displacing natives species; pest species use food and/or nesting sites that would have been used by native species.

Please don't encourage pest animals by putting food out for them.

Pest mammals include foxes, cats, dogs, rabbits, pigs, goats, horses and cattle.

◊ Feral Cats

Feral cats cause serious loss of wildlife, such as small mammals and birds. However, the extent of the damage is not certain due to the additional impacts of other predators and habitat loss, all of which also affect native species. The impact of cats is listed as a "key threatening process" in the Endangered Species Protection Act 1992 (Federal legislation) and a Threat Abatement Plan for Predation by Feral Cats is being prepared.

Control of feral cats is by shooting, trapping, baiting and fencing of native wildlife reserves.

◊ Feral Dogs

Feral dogs do not only attack native animals in bushland, they can also cause serious damage to livestock, especially sheep, in adjacent pastoral areas. Feral dogs are also known to mate with dingos which are regarded by the National Parks and Wildlife Service as native species.

◊ Foxes

These adaptable animals were originally released in the mid 1800s for recreational hunting. They have been responsible for the decline in the numbers of smaller, ground-dwelling animals. Control is generally by shooting, trapping and poisoning.

◊ Other Pest Mammals

The main problem with other pest mammals such as feral pigs, goats, horses and cattle is damage to natural ecosystems. Pigs, however, also prey on small wildlife and on the eggs of reptiles and birds. Pigs also damage native vegetation near watercourses through their habit of "wallowing" when looking for food.

Goats, horses and cattle destroy native vegetation through grazing and cause serious soil compaction and erosion. They also damage the homes of burrowing invertebrate species.

The practice of hunting feral pigs with dogs, or "pig dogging", was banned by the NSW Government in 1997.

Exotic birds such as the Starling and the Common (or Indian) Myna have not yet penetrated deeply into natural bushland. They exclude native species from nesting hollows and compete with them for food. They are the birds most likely to be attracted by feeding tables.

The introduced Indian Myna is sometimes confused with the native Noisy Miner, a similar-sized bird with a similar aggressive character. The two are quite distinctive; the Indian Myna is brown in colour while the Noisy Miner is grey.

Other exotic bird pests include the common Starling, the European Goldfinch and the Spotted Turtle Dove.

Some native birds have increased their range due to human activities such as clearing of native forests. The Galah, the Crested Pigeon and the Little Corella now occur in the Blue Mountains whereas this would have been unusual 50 years ago. These may have contributed to the decline in numbers of other native birds.

There are many introduced insect pests, the two most commonly encountered being the European Honeybee and the European Wasp.

Honeybees are important in agriculture, however, in many areas they have displaced native bees and interfered in the efficient pollination of some plants. They can sting painfully but this is not usually serious except to those who have an allergy to the toxin. Stings should be removed by scraping with a fingernail. Pulling out the sting by the poison sac causes further toxin to be injected.

European Wasps are very dangerous. They are similar in appearance to the European Bee but are a little longer and have bright yellow stripes. They nest underground, in wall/ceiling cavities, in chimneys or in logs and trees and are attracted to sweet foods and drinks. They have been known to crawl inside open cans and bottles so take care when drinking from these if wasps are known to have been in the vicinity. European Wasps are declared pests under the Plant Diseases Act and property owners must destroy nests.

Pest control companies listed in the Yellow Pages will remove bee swarms and destroy European Wasp nests. Some beekeepers will remove bee swarms free of charge.

Non-native animals are not permitted in National Parks. If you notice any, please inform a National Parks' officer of the location, the time, date, number of animals sighted and, if appropriate, any vehicle registration number.

Control of pest animals is the responsibility of several Authorities, particularly the National Parks and Wildlife Service and NSW Agriculture. At a national level, the National Feral Animal Control Program aims to reduce the impact of feral animals in cooperation with the States.

Cats and dogs are great companions and give much pleasure to their human "owners". They can also give much pain to neighbours and to wildlife if they are not controlled. ALL domestic pets are banned from National Parks and Nature Reserves.

The obvious benefit of de-sexing domestic cats and dogs is the elimination of unwanted offspring which could end up as feral animals. Other advantages include:

• Desexed males are less likely to roam and are less likely to "spray" indoors.
• Reduced aggression with other animals.
• Reduced impact on dumping rate and animal cruelty.

Cats are instinctive hunters and, even if well fed, will kill wildlife. They do not respect boundaries and will hunt in your neighbour's property as well as in yours. They will also hunt in bushland, with the risk of becoming feral. There only really effective way to reduce the impact of cats on wildlife is to not have a cat near bushland.

◊ Confining Your Cat

If you do have a cat, it is vital to keep it confined. Cats and many native animals are most active at night. Keeping your cat enclosed - perhaps in a laundry or garage - from dusk until after sunrise will reduce its impact on wildlife and will also reduce cat injury on roads or in fights.

Confining cats permanently is also practical. This can either be in the house, where they will sleep most of the time, or in special outdoor enclosures with or without a connection to the house. Cats kept indoors have an average life span of 12 years compared with 3 years for cats allowed to roam.

◊ More Bells Please!

Belled collars are good in theory but most cats have no trouble in stalking silently despite the bell. Adding three large bells, two under the chin and one opposite, will reduce wildlife kills but won't eliminate them.

The Companion Animals Act 1998 has introduced new regulations for domestic cats and dogs (and other animals). The Act will be administered by local Councils:

• Registration will be compulsory for all cats and dogs.
• Any cat or dog which changes ownership (or is newly acquired) must be adequately identified (eg. microchip).
• A cat or dog may be lawfully seized if needed for the protection of any person or animal (other than vermin). Such action must comply with the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1979.

Council regulations allow for up to three dogs to be kept in urban areas but dogs, even when on a lead, are viewed as predators by wildlife. To avoid unnecessary stress, it's best if dogs are not walked in bushland. And to avoid stress to humans, please carry a scoop and plastic bag to remove anything your dog may leave behind.

Regulations vary depending on the property zoning and the type of animal.

Less common pets such as rabbits, guinea pigs, ferrets and aviary birds are not covered by specific Council regulations. Council and the RSPCA will become involved if there are complaints of noise, smell, other nuisance or cruelty.

The keeping of animals such as horses, pigs, sheep, goats and poultry is usually considered on a case-by-case basis and will depend on the zoning of the property. Council will not normally object to the keeping of a sheep or goat as a "lawnmower" provided adequate arrangements are made for the safety of the animal (e.g. to protect it from attack by dogs) and for secure fencing.

Liquid waste (effluent) from animal enclosures has a high concentration of organic matter and nutrients, so please ensure that any effluent is not allowed to enter drains or waterways or to flow over bushland.

◊ Horses

In areas other than urban zonings, one horse can be kept without any special Council approval. Council must approve a larger number and will consider factors such as nuisance (noise, smells), waste disposal, management practices, fencing and stables. Horses are not allowed to be kept in residentially zoned areas.

◊ Pigs

There are no specific regulations concerning the keeping of these animals. Council may require that a "Statement of Environmental Effects" be prepared as part of a Development Application.

◊ Poultry

Council has several recommendations for the keeping of chickens and ducks:

• Maximum of 20 birds.
• A minimum number of roosters.
• Minimum distance from a dwelling; 15m for chickens and 30m for ducks.
• Proper housing with 75mm (minimum) graded concrete floor for drainage.

Council officers need to inspect and approve any enclosure larger than 3m x 3m.

Some scientists have suggested that long term conservation of some animal species could be assisted by allowing some species to be domesticated.

However, this is currently illegal and will probably remain so for the foreseeable future.

◊ Releasing Domestic Birds

If looking after the budgie (or any other domesticated bird) becomes a chore, it might be tempting to just open the cage door and walk away. But....

• Domestic birds can transmit diseases to native species.
• Domestic birds are usually not equipped for survival as they are often native to areas with entirely different climates.
• Some native domestic birds can cross breed with wild birds with the possible long-term loss of the native species.

There are many books available on native birds, mammals, fish and invertebrates. Particularly useful is the website maintained by the Australian Museum. The Museum also produces a series of "Information Disks" on a variety of natural history topics which are comprehensive but relatively inexpensive.