SOUTH Australia has more than 150 islands, most of them free of foxes, feral
cats and rabbits. Without competitors and predators, animals such as the
brush-tailed bettong and the stick-nest rat are thriving on the islands.
Scientists from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in South
Australia have reintroduced to the islands animals that are now extinct on the
mainland. They hope eventually to be able to use the island populations as a
resource for wildlife reintroduction programmes in the rest of the state. This
work plus the formation of the islands and their biological and cultural history
are described in South Australia’s Offshore Islands, a joint work of
the department and the Australian Heritage Commission. The book is available for
$44.95 from Australian government bookshops in capital cities or from
AGPS Mail Order Sales, GPO Box 84, Canberra ACT 2601.
More from New Scientist
Explore the latest news, articles and features

Life
Has the answer to life's origins been hiding in our cells all along?
Features

ÎçÒ¹¸£Àû1000¼¯ºÏ
Sperm have been made magnetic to allow IVF inside the body
News

ÎçÒ¹¸£Àû1000¼¯ºÏ
The social media ban is an experiment – here’s how it will be studied
News

Technology
Inside the start-up aiming for a giant leap in robot intelligence
News
Popular articles
Trending New Scientist articles
1
We may have finally solved cosmology's chicken-or-the-egg problem
2
Has the answer to life's origins been hiding in our cells all along?
3
Vaping after quitting smoking is linked to lung cancer
4
Toy universe shows that time could be a quantum illusion
5
Fully autonomous drones have killed human soldiers for the first time
6
New Scientist recommends a brilliant take on the evolution of birds
7
What is a ‘normal’ memory slowdown, and when should I worry?
8
Quantum computer quickly mines cryptocurrency while using less energy
9
Is consciousness more fundamental to reality than quantum physics?
10
How I used psychology to come back from the worst year of my life