Impact of wildlife culling on the physiological stress and space use of a social herbivore
Data files
Oct 02, 2025 version files 86.94 KB
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Campbell_etal_data_faeces.xlsx
84.51 KB
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README.md
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Abstract
Wildlife culling is a widely used but often contentious management tool for controlling overabundant species. While previous research suggests that behavioural responses of eastern grey kangaroos (Macropus giganteus) to culling are relatively minor, physiological measures can offer additional insight into how animals perceive such events. In this study, we assessed changes in faecal glucocorticoid metabolite (FGM) concentrations to evaluate the physiological response of kangaroos to a conservation cull in the Australian Capital Territory. We collected faecal samples immediately before (n = 255) and after (n = 171) the cull and analysed FGM levels alongside patterns of space use inferred from GPS-located faeces. Post-cull FGM concentrations were 29% lower than pre-cull levels, suggesting a subdued physiological response inconsistent with what might be expected following a major predation-like event. Additionally, kangaroos were found to graze further from refuge sites after the cull, further indicating reduced stress or increased perceived safety. Our findings align with previous behavioural data and suggest that the culling operation had minimal negative impact on the remaining individuals. This study highlights the value of incorporating physiological metrics into wildlife assessments and demonstrates the importance of multi-faceted approaches in evaluating the outcomes of wildlife management interventions.
Dataset DOI: 10.5061/dryad.1g1jwsv9t
Description of the data and file structure
This is data used in the analyses for the paper 'Impact of wildlife culling on the physiological stress and space use of a social herbivore'. Data was collected in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory (ACT), between May and August 2023.
Files and variables
File: Campbell_etal_data_faeces.xlsx
Sheet 1: FGM
- Site: the location the faeces was collected.
- Cull_control: whether the site was a treatment (cull) or control sites.
- Pre_post: whether the faecal sample was collected before the cull (pre) or after the cull (post).
- Cull_size: the percentage of the original population culled.
- Habitat: whether the site was completely surrounded by trees (closed) or an open area with fewer trees (open).
- Ave_mob: average mob size in the session the faeces were collected in.
- FGM: faecal glucocorticoid metabolites (ng/g).
- Date: the date the sample was collected.
Sheet 2: Distance
- Site: the location the faeces was collected.
- Date: the date the sample was collected.
- Cull_control: whether the site was a treatment (cull) or control sites.
- Pre_post: whether the faecal sample was observed before the cull (pre) or after the cull (post).
- Distance_m: the distance (in meters) from the sample to the nearest refuge (tree line).
- Cull_size: the percentage of the original population culled.
- Max_mob: the maximum mob size in the session the faeces were observed.
- Max_pop: the maximum population size in the session the faeces were observed.
Sheet 3: Clumping
- Site: the location the faeces was collected.
- Cull_control: whether the site was a treatment (cull) or control sites.
- Pre_post: whether the faecal sample was observed before the cull (pre) or after the cull (post).
- Ave_mob: average mob size in the session that the faeces were observed.
- Max_mob: the maximum mob size in the session the faeces were observed.
- r_meters: the minimum clustering radius of faeces (in meters).
Code/software
All statistical analyses were performed using Rstudio and the packages jtools, dplyr version, lme4, glmmTMB, spatstat and dbmss.
Access information
All data was collected by the authors of this study. Please feel free to contact us with any questions regarding this data.