Wildlife Management (VETS90016)

Topics that will be covered in this subject include:

• Biological and legal definitions of wildlife and the goals of management
• Population dynamics and the measurement of abundance; the roles of competition, predation, harvesting and disease in the regulation of populations
• Physical and chemical techniques of capture and restraint
• Management of overabundant and pest species (native and exotic) including lethal (poisons, shooting, pathogens) and non-lethal (deterrents, fertility control, relocation) methods of control; methods of euthanasia and ethical considerations
• Management of threatened species, including roles of habitat loss, predation and disease in population declines, management of small populations in the wild and in captivity

The first and final two sessions will take place on the main campus at Parkville. The other sessions will be field trips held at different internal and external locations. There is prescribed reading for each field trip session, which will be provided to students through the LMS.

A number of key topics in wildlife management will be covered on each site visit. Students will be asked to complete an online quiz based on their pre-reading for the field trip before each trip, and a theme-specific task sheetmust be submitted online for each field trip session within 24 hours after the trip. Staff from a variety of agencies that manage wildlife in Victoria will present an outline of their management programs and will provide detailed information about specific management issues and activities. Different aspects of the same topic will be covered at different sites depending upon the species of animal or management system involved. Where feasible there will be practical activities designed to reinforce the theoretical aspects of the material being covered.