A survey of gastro-intestinal parasites was conducted on faecal samples collected from 379 feral cats and 851 native fauna from 16 locations throughout Western Australia. The prevalence of each parasite species detected varied depending upon the sampling location. Common helminth parasites detected in feral cats included Ancylostoma spp. (29.8%), Oncicola pomatostomi (25.6%), Spirometra erinaceieuropaei (14%), Taenia taeniaeformis (4.7%), Physaloptera praeputialis (3.7%) and Toxocara cati (2.6%). The most common protozoan parasites detected in feral cats were Isospora rivolta (16.9%) and I. felis (4.5%). The native mammals were predominately infected with unidentified nematodes of the order Strongylida (59.1%), with members of the orders Rhabditida, Spirurida and Oxyurida also common. Oxyuroid nematodes were most common in the rodents (47.9%) and western grey kangaroos (27.8%). Several species of Eimeria were detected in the marsupials whilst unidentified species of Entamoeba and coccidia were common in most of the native fauna. Primers anchored in the first and second internal transcribed spacers (ITS1 and ITS2) of the ribosomal DNA (rDNA) were used to develop a polymerase chain reaction-linked restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) technique to differentiate the species of Ancylostoma detected in feral cats. Amplification of the ITS+ region (ITS1, ITS2 and 5.8S gene) followed by digestion with the endonuclease RsaI produced characteristic patterns for A. tubaeforme, A. ceylanicum and A. caninum, which were detected in 26.6%, 4.7% and 0% of feral cats respectively. Giardia was detected in a cat, dingo, quenda and two native rodents. Sequence analysis at the small subunit rDNA gene (SSU-rDNA) identified the cat and dingo as harbouring G.duodenalis infections belonging to the genetic assemblages A and D respectively. Subsequent analysis of the SSU-rDNA and elongation factor 1 alpha (ef1á) identified a novel species of Giardia occurring in the quenda. Attempts to genetically characterise the Giardia in the two native rodents were unsuccessful. Serological detection of Toxoplasma gondii was compared to a one tube hemi-nested PCR protocol to evaluate its sensitivity. PCR was comparable to serology in detecting T. gondii infections, although PCR was a much more definitive and robust technique than serology for large numbers of samples. Amplification of T. gondii DNA detected infections in 4.9% of feral cats and 6.5% of native mammals. The distribution of T. gondii does not appear to be restricted by environmental factors, which implies that vertical transmission is important for the persistence of T. gondii infections in Western Australia. These results demonstrate that cats carry a wide range of parasitic organisms, many of which may influence the survival and reproduction of native mammals. As such, the large-scale conservation and reintroduction of native fauna in Western Australia must not disregard the potential influence parasites can have on these populations.

Thesis (M. Appl. Sci.)--University of Canberra, 2004. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on July 20, 2005). Includes bibliographical references (p. 129-146).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wollongong, 2005. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on Aug. 13, 2005). Includes bibliographical references.

Title: “Where the Feral Things Are: An analysis of how the USDA and Department of the Interior’s Agencies Manage Feral Hogs, Horses and Burros” Author: Elizabeth Poczobut, MPA Candidate, Department of Political Science, Public Policy and International Affairs, College of Arts and Sciences, ETSU. Abstract: Many Americans cannot picture the “Wild West” without also picturing the majesty, liberty and mystique of wild horses roaming the plains. This deeply held cultural view of wild horses lead to the 1971 passage of the Wild, Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act. This act tasked the Department of the Interior, and subsequently the Bureau of Land Management, with protecting wild horses and burros from “capture, branding, harassment, or death…as an integral part of the natural system of the public lands.” In 1971, there were approximately 25,000 free-roaming horses and burros on public land in the western United States. That number has grown to over 70,000 animals today, and the Bureau of Land Management alone spends approximately $81 million in taxpayer money every year to continue carrying out the management objectives set in 1971. Wild horses and burros are a uniquely protected and managed non-native species in the United States due to a variety of administrative, cultural and legal management constraints. They are protected from many forms of eradication and have virtually no natural predators. When feral horses are compared with other non-native species like wild hogs, the management inequalities are obvious. The United States Department of Agriculture estimates that there are 5 million feral hogs roaming the United States, and that they are responsible for about $1.5 million in damages to natural resources. Unlike feral horses, feral hogs are managed by a variety of means up to and including unrestricted eradication. This paper will analyze the non-native, mammal management practices of five major United States agencies and compare legislation, cultural expectations and administrative regulations of these two major feral species. The attempted resolutions and new management proposals are also discussed, and the potential implications of these are taken into consideration.

No description available.

Environmental impacts of feral horses (Equus caballus) are a subject of conservation concern and controversial national policy. In North America, feral horses are considered an invasive species where they impact rangelands of the arid and semi-arid western United States. The greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) is a native sagebrush obligate bird species that relies on sagebrush habitats to sustain viable population levels. Recent literature suggests that feral horse presence can have a notable effect on the fitness of native and sagebrush obligate species throughout the arid and semi-arid western United States. The purpose of this thesis was to assess the potential impact of feral horses on population patterns and on late-brood rearing habitat of greater sage-grouse throughout the Great Basin. This was accomplished by pairing known sage-grouse use sites (leks and late brood-rearing habitat) to random sites for comparison. Within each pair, one site was located within Herd Management Area (HMA) boundaries (with assumed horse presence) while the other was located outside (with assumed horse absence). We then assessed lek attendance throughout the state of Nevada and compared attendance rates to known horse population estimates. Furthermore, paired late brood-rearing habitat sites were compared to one another to assess the effect of horse and cattle presence on habitat quality and characteristics. We determined that mean sage-grouse population size at leks is higher (9.14 ± 1.04 males) within HMA boundaries compared to areas outside of HMA boundaries (6.55 ± 0.74 males). Considering late brood-rearing habitat, we determined that statistical differences have occurred between horse and non-horse use sites in the following comparisons: annual grass frequency, percent annual grass cover, dung frequency, total plant height, vegetative height, and horse and cattle dung density. We suggest that feral horse presence can impact sage-grouse habitat, however, a more clear understanding of horse effects on rangeland wildlife habitat is needed to assess actual impacts on wildlife populations in consideration of multiple use management decisions.

This thesis explores the concept of ‘feral’ while speculating possible futures of more-than-human interactions in urban environments. Feral in this project is described as living and non-living entities that are uncontrollable, unintentional, situated and dethatched from humans. The aim of this thesis to implement more-than-human theory and concepts into design practice to expand the design space of non-anthropocentric design. A speculative design approach is used to question and alter the status quo of power relations within more-than-human interactions through its experimental and critical nature (Bardzell, Bardzell and Koefoed Hansen, 2015; Dunne and Raby, 2013). Further, a series of methods, approaches and speculative fabulations (Haraway, 2016) are proposed that tell stories of possible worlds and act as a catalyst for moving more-than-human theory beyond concepts towards design practice.

Influenza A virus (IAV) is a zoonotic pathogen which consists of a large genetically and antigenically diverse viral population. Swine IAVs not only cause disease outbreaks among swine, but can also be transmitted to humans, causing sporadic infections and even pandemic outbreaks apart from human seasonal IAV. Antigenic variant identification is fundamental for an effective vaccination program. Red blood cell based immunological tests have been used to identify antigenic variants among circulating IAV strains. Because these assays require viral isolation, they are time consuming and labor intensive. Thus only limited numbers of virus isolates are subjected to antigenic characterization in influenza surveillance studies and much of this important information is lost. In this project, a novel polyclonal antibody based proximity ligation assays (polyPLA) was developed and validated to characterize IAV antigenic variants directly using clinical samples. The application of this method with clinical samples from influenza surveillance had aided in the understanding of the antigenic evolution of IAV in human and swine populations.

Feral horse management has become a subject of significant controversy in the United States. This is because of differing opinions and minimal recent empirical data on feral horses. In recent years, numbers of feral horses have increased due to governmental horse removal restrictions (specifically the Wild Horse and Burro act of 1971). With increasing numbers of feral horses on rangelands, land managers are challenged with identifying the appropriate course of action for satisfying groups with differing opinions. The purpose of this study is to characterize diet consumption through the use of stable isotope dietary analysis (δ15N and δ13C). We did this in order to measure the impact of feral horse forage consumption on rangelands and to propose strategies for improving habitat management and conservation. We obtained tail hair isotopic values from tail hair removed while horses that were held in squeeze chutes following a roundup. Resulting isotopic values were compared to plant isotopic values using plant samples obtained from the geographical areas as the horses in order to characterize diet. Contribution of the various plant species to the tail hair mixture values was determined using the EPA program IsoSource©. Initial analysis of tail hair isotopes demonstrated seasonal variation. During summer months, shrubs (mostly Artemesia spp, and Purshia Tridentate), Elymus elymoides, Juncus balticus, and Festuca idahoensis were the predominantly consumed vegetative species. During fall months, Leymus cinereus and Juncus balticus played a more significant role in feral horse diet. In the winter, shrubs were more heavily consumed along with Poa secunda. Springtime showed a shift towards forb consumption. Changes in seasonal consumption of forages are most likely linked to forage availability as well as equine preference. We analyzed plant metrics (specifically biomass, abundance, and cover) to compare a site with horses present to a site where horses had been removed the previous year and found relatively few differences between the two sites. With nearly all differences we found higher plant production (forage availability) on the site where horses were still present. In riparian areas however, there was more vegetation (specifically Carex rossii, Juncus balticus, and Poa secunda) on the site where horses had been removed. Within riparian areas, only Bromus tectorum (a plant not typically found in riparian areas but characteristic of degraded areas) showed significantly greater amounts of biomass on the site with horses present. Knowledge of plant species consumption will allow land managers greater ability to make scientifically based decisions regarding feral horse population control which is important in determining appropriate management levels of populations.

Feral horses occupy 31.6 million acres throughout western North America. Feral horses share similar habitats with a wide range of animal species, including pronghorn. Since horses are larger and often more aggressive than other animals of this region, they are generally socially dominant over all other native ungulate species. Pronghorn share water sources with horses in areas where both occur. In situations where horses exclude pronghorn from water, pronghorn fitness may be impaired, especially during the hottest months of the year when water is limited. The purpose of this study was to investigate interference competition between pronghorn and feral horses at water sources. During spring and summer 2010-11, we placed motion-sensitive cameras at water sources across the Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge in northwest Nevada. Cameras were used to examine the overlap of water use by pronghorn and horses and to determine the occurrence of spatial or temporal partitioning of water between these species. Additionally, we made direct observations of horses and pronghorn at high-use water sources to record the occurrences and outcomes of pronghorn/horse interactions as well as differences in pronghorn behavior in the presence and absence of horses. Pronghorn spent more time on vigilance behavior and less time foraging or drinking in the presence of horses than in their absence. Nearly half of pronghorn/horse interactions at water resulted in pronghorn exclusion from water. Our data also suggest that temporal partitioning of water between horses and pronghorn on an hourly basis may be occurring.