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Australia is one of the most biologically diverse countries on earth, with over 80% of flora and fauna species being endemic to this unique environment. However, since European colonisation 200+ years ago, the destruction and fragmentation of natural habitats through the clearance of vegetation for agriculture, as well as the impact of feral animals and invasive weeds has significantly impacted Australia’s biodiversity.

Arkaba had been a working sheep property since 1851 and it is estimated that up to 23 of the 50 mammals thought to have inhabited the area prior to European arrival have become locally extinct in the Ikara-Flinders Ranges. In 2009 when Wild Bush Luxury added Arkaba to its portfolio of luxury tourism destinations in Australia, the impact of over 150 years of livestock grazing was evident. The destruction and fragmentation of natural habitats through the clearance of vegetation for agriculture as well as the impact of feral animals and invasive weeds had significantly impacted Arkaba’s biodiversity. In some areas, the land was barren, eroded and void of many native animals and plants.

As a private wildlife conservancy Arkaba endeavoured to put in place successful conservation programs across the property, focussing primarily on feral species eradication and reversing the effects of years of livestock grazing. In 2010 the remaining sheep stock were removed from two-thirds of the property, with the last of these removed in September 2013. Ongoing efforts to reduce numbers of feral goats, foxes and cats have involved aerial and ground-based control methods that have proven highly effective. Today, mobs of kangaroos, emus and other abundant wildlife will delight you on safaris through spectacular ancient landscapes, where expert field guides will immerse you in the story of the bush.

Arkaba’s conservation programs receive funding under the Native Vegetation Council’s ‘Significant Environment Benefits Grant (SEB)’ program. The SEB grants “provide funding for the on-ground restoration of native vegetation in South Australia” and on Arkaba these programs were initiated in 2014 and are still ongoing across the property.

Why?

  • European exotic animals (such as rabbits and goats) create grazing pressure on the land by competing for food with other native herbivores.
  • It is estimated that a single feral cat kills about 4 – 20 native animals each night. With approximately 4 million feral cats in Australia this amounts to up to 75 million a night or 4 billion native animals a year!
  • There are roughly 6.2 million feral red foxes in Australia thought to be responsible for the decline of medium sized ground-dwelling mammals.
  • Grazing sheep damage the vegetation and food source of native animals as well as contributing to erosion of the landscape.

How Can Guests Get Involved?

Just ten guests at a time share this remote 60,000 acre private wildlife conservancy dedicated to the conservation of Australia’s unique wildlife and birds. Gaining a true insight into what’s involved in conservation is one of the most rewarding experiences to be had and guests can join the mission to restore Arkaba’s biodiversity with some hands-on conservation activities. These can include tracking a radio-collared feral cat with a telemetry device, setting up the trip cameras that monitor key sites across the property, looking for signs of vegetation critical to endangered animals, or joining a biologist on land surveys.

So what is the Conservation Levy?

At least 2 percent of your all-inclusive experience at Arkaba goes back into conservation projects. The Conservation Levy does not increase the price of your Wild Bush Luxury experience. It is simply a guarantee that a minimum amount from your experience goes towards initiatives that contribute directly to protecting Australia’s biodiversity.

What does the conservation levy contribute to?

  • Funding an ecologist to conduct our vegetation and mammal surveys that enable us to track the effectiveness of our conservation programs. $350 supports a scientist providing field research for a day.
  • The purchase of monitoring cameras – $1,200 enables the purchase of a single camera.
  • The purchase of radio collars (a single radio collar costs $2,400) to provide data on both native and feral species.
  • The purchase of cage traps for catching feral cats. $150 purchases a single trap.
  • Supporting aircraft time to carry out our aerial feral cat baiting programs. $5,000 will fund a day’s aircraft ‘bait bombing’ time including baits.
  • Managing perimeter fences on Arkaba. $700 supports 100 metres of new fencing to prevent neighbouring sheep (feral herbivores) venturing on to Arkaba including labour.

Along with these conservation initiates, Arkaba is also a Long Run Fellow Member. This means that they directly manage or significantly influence the management of a natural area of conservation value with defined geographical boundaries and are committed to achieving sustainability through a holistic balance of the 4Cs:  

  • Conservation – Thriving ecosystems and biodiversity are integral to the survival of people and our planet. Conservation is safeguarding this biodiversity to support global needs.
  • Community – People matter; it is the right of every person to have their basic needs met, and enhancing the well-being of communities is a fundamental obligation of all.
  • Culture – Celebrating cultural diversity and commonality nurtures understanding and fosters connections. Respecting cultural difference is crucial to our future.
  • Commerce – Trading has been central to the development of civilisations over thousands of years and is likely to remain so, and so sustainability must be central to business.

Arkaba is a proud supporter of the Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC), the largest private owner of land for conservation in Australia, protecting endangered wildlife across more than 3.85 million hectares in iconic regions such as the Kimberley, Cape York, Lake Eyre and the Top End. 

Nestled within the Ikara-Flinders Ranges and framed by the walls of Wilpena Pound and the Elder Range, Arkaba offers some of Australia’s most spectacular outback scenery. In addition to providing exceptional Australian travel experiences, Arkaba’s mission is ultimately to conserve the environment that sustains them.

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