A new community mapping website has launched in Australia that hopes to document sightings of, and damage caused by, feral animals, to better control their populations.

 

The website, called Feral Scan, is a collaboration between federal and state governments, private organisations, and the community.

 

Initially, the project is focussing on feral camels, rabbits, foxes, and myna birds, but will soon include feral pigs and wild dogs, too.

 

The Feral Scan homepage serves as a gateway to the different mapping projects for each of the animals, and by clicking on the animal of interest, an information page on the animal is presented.

 

The page includes information on why the animal is a problem, and tells the user some ways in which they can help. There is also the option to place any sightings or evidence of the animal on a map.

 

The interactive ‘heat’ maps show the different sightings, colour coded by population density.

 

You can access Feral Scan at http://www.feralscan.org.au