Monitoring terrestrial animals in Kakadu

Fauna monitoring began in Kakadu National Park in 1996 as part of the Three Parks Fireplot Monitoring Program implemented by the Northern Territory Department of Environment, Parks and Water Security (DEPWS), Parks Australia and Traditional Owners. This program was pivotal in detecting the marked declines of small mammal species in the Top End between 1995 and 2005. Capitalising on the availability of new technology such as camera traps, DEPWS redesigned the program in 2017. The revised program can detect population trends in many more species, including some threatened species, and improves the representation of certain habitats such as rainforest.

The monitoring program covers several national parks across the Top End. Map of the Top End with Limmen, Judgbarra, Nitmiluk, Kakadu, Litchfield and Garig Gunak Barlu parks highlighted.

The monitoring program covers several national parks across the Top End.

  • Giant cave gecko, photo Graeme Gillespie
  • Overlooking Kakadu National Park, photo Kym Brennan.
  • Pit trap with small dragon on leaves, photo Northern Territory DENR.
  • Setting a camera trap, photo Northern Territory DENR.
  • Black-footed tree-rat, a threated species in Kakadu National Park, photo Northern Territory DENR.

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