Small Mammal Facility

Thanks to funding provided by Lotterywest, construction of the Small Mammal Facility is now complete. The facility provides four predator protected pens for the housing of small mammals for research, breeding and rehabilitation purposes. It is built into an area of natural banksia woodland to provide as natural an environment for animals as possible. Each pen measures 55m x 35m. The 1800 mm high fencing is topped with a flexible overhang on both sides to discourage animals entering or exiting. The external fencing incorporates electrified hot wires as a further barrier to climbing predators. It is specifically designed to resist predators, such as feral cats and foxes. The four pens are interconnected by a set of four gates at the centre point to provide for a range of usage combinations. Infrared floodlightss and cameras will be installed at the centre point to allow the behaviour of animals to be monitored day and night.

Currently all vegetation cleared from the fence lines is being returned back into the enclosure, in accordance with the land clearing permit for the project. This will both assist with revegetation within the area and provide natural shelter and nesting material for the animals. The permit requires that we also revegetate an offset area elsewhere on the property. We have negotiated with Main Roads Department to undertake the revegetation. MRD is undertaking revegetation on NAR's property as offset for work currently under way on the Reid Hwy/Alexander Drive interchange and will cater for our requirements at the same time. Now that there has been some reasonable winter rain, the revegetation program has commenced. In preparation for the revegetation work, part of the boundary fencing has been realigned. We sincerely thank Michael, Scott, Brian, Robert and Peter who put in a recent solid day's work, in wet and stormy conditions, pulling down eixisting fencing to be reused by the fencing contractors on the new fence line.

The enclosure will initially be used for research into the impact of parasites on the current decline of Woylie populations in WA. It is expected that Woylies will be moved on site September/October to commence the research program.

Cost of feed and care $100 per week (estimated) for the initial research program being implemented.