Kakadu National Park

1. Kakadu National Park

2. Kakadu National Park is in the Northern Territory of Australia, 171 km southeast of Darwin. • Kakadu National Park is located within the Alligator Rivers Region of the Northern Territory of Australia. It covers an area of 19,804 km2 (7,646 sq. mi), stretching almost 200 kilometres from north to south and over 100 kilometres from east to west. • Kakadu was founded at a time when the Australian community was becoming more interested in the statement of national parks for conservation and in recognising the land interests of Aboriginal people.

3. flora and fauna • Kakadu's flora is among the richest in northern Australia with more than 1700 plant species recorded which is a result of the Park's geological, landform and habitat diversity. Kakadu is also considered to be one of the most weed free national parks in the world. • The diverse environments of Kakadu National Park support an astonishing array of animals, a number of which have adapted to particular habitats. Some animals in the Park are rare, endangered, vulnerable or endemic. Responding to the extreme weather conditions experienced in the Park, many animals are active only at particular times of the day or night or at particular times of the year.

4. Introduced Species • Horses are particularly common in the southern woodlands of the park. They spread weeds and damage waterholes by eroding soil and fouling the water. Recent control measures have reduced the number of horses along the Kakadu Highway. • Horses are particularly common in the southern woodlands of the park. They spread weeds and damage waterholes by eroding soil and fouling the water. Recent control measures have reduced the number of horses along the Kakadu Highway. • Dogs that have become feral have some impact in that they interbreed with the dingo population in the park, changing the dingo gene pool. Jabiru residents are allowed to keep up to two dogs within the confines of the township and park residents can keep dogs at the discretion of the Director of National Parks.

5. Pigs cause damage to a broad range of Kakadu's habitats. They degrade the environment around springs and small rainforest patches, especially in the wet season. They also dig up areas in their search for food and compete directly with magpie geese and Aboriginal people for bulbs that grow along the wetland shores. The ground they expose is vulnerable to weed infestation-pigs are thought to be the main agents of spreading the weed mimosa through the park. Park staff control pigs close to known mimosa infestations on an opportunistic basis and feral pig control work is conducted regularly. • Cane toads were found in Kakadu National Park on 12 March 2001. Cane toads are poisonous throughout most of their life cycle and current information suggests that they will have an initial impact on animals such as snakes, goannas and quolls, who will try to eat them. Evidence from other areas effected by Cane toads suggest numbers will stabilise after an initial period. No effective control measures are available. Cane toads in the park are likely to be one of the most pressing management problems facing Kakadu in the coming decade.