DOI: 10.5061/dryad.tx95x6b74
title: Dancing with the devil: Could native predators inside 'predator free' havens be good for the conservation of threatened native prey species?

description: As invasive predators continue to drive global biodiversity loss,
 predator-free havens are rapidly being established to recover threatened
 fauna. An unintended consequence of these efforts is that havened
 populations can lose anti-predator traits, making them poorly suited for
 reintroductions into landscapes that contain predators. One approach
 showing promise in preventing the loss of these critical responses from
 havened populations is in situ predator exposure. Here we evaluate this
 via experimental translocations to determine whether predation pressure
 from a native mesopredator (chuditch; Dasyurus geoffroii) is effective in
 retaining behavioural and morphological anti-predator traits in the
 Endangered woylie (Bettongia penicillata ogilbyi). We conducted replicated
 reintroductions of semi-havened (free from invasive predators but exposed
 to chuditch) and non-havened (control) woylies into vacant bushland
 containing chuditch, feral foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and feral cats (Felis
 catus). We monitored woylie survival, reproduction, physiology (faecal
 glucocorticoid metabolites, fGCM), and proxies for behavioural and
 morphological anti-predator traits before and for ten months after their
 release. We found no effects of source population on weight, pes length,
 agitation behaviour, or fGCM. Survival probability was higher for males,
 and for individuals with higher fGCM levels, but we could not attribute
 differences in woylie survival to whether they originated from a haven.
 This suggests that sustained predation pressure from chuditch inside the
 haven has been effective in maintaining anti-predator responses and
 supporting survival of woylies faced with novel invasive predators.
 However, it will be crucial to understand thresholds of in situ predation
 pressure across contexts that havened fauna can withstand before
 recommending broad scale adoption of this strategy. Authors should follow
 a formula in which point 1 sets the context and need for the work; point 2
 indicates the approach and methods used; the next 2-3 points outline the
 main results; and the last point identifies the wider implications and
 relevance to management or policy.
description: These data were collected following a translocation of woylies.
 Woylies were captured multiple times following their release, during which
 information on their age, sex, pes lenght, head length, weight, and
 behaviour were taken, as well as faecal samples which were later assay for
 faecal glucocorticoid concentrations. The names of animal handlers have
 been anonymised, and no further processing has occurred to the data
 presented here - they are in their raw format.
description: # Dancing with the devil: Could native predators inside 'predator
 free' havens be good for the conservation of threatened native prey
 species?
 [https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.tx95x6b74](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.tx95x6b74) ## Description of the data and file structure These data are collated from capture-recapture studies of woylies at 3 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, and 9 months after their translocation to satellite forest blocks in Dryandra National Park. ### Files and variables #### Files: Contine\_Captfile.csv and Stokes\_Captfile.csv **Description:** These are the capture files that were input into the CJS models (one for Stokes, one for Contine). ##### Variables * \#Session: This is the primary session * ID: Animal identity * Occasion: The night within a session * Detector: Trap number  * Source: The population that the animal was originally sourced from #### Files: Continetrapfile.csv and StokesCaptfile.csv **Description:** A list of traps used for the CJS models for Contine and Stokes #### File: Cortisol.csv **Description:** fGCM concentrations, NAs indicate that data were not available ##### Variables * Faecal_sample: Sample unique identifier * Date: date sample was taken * Individual_Identifier_Combined: Individual unique identifier * Trap: Trap animals was captured in * Site: Site of capture (DNWS = Dryandra Numbat Woylie Sanctuary, LOL = Lol Grey road, VN, VS, VE, VW = roads that are north, south, east, and west of the Dryandra Lions village respectively) * Sex: male or female * Age: adult or subadult * Session: primary trapping session (relevant to the capture recapture analysis, T indicates targeted trapping, all others are systematic transects) * PY.CR: crown-rump length of pouch young (in cm) * number_capture_within_session: number of captures for this individual in this session * Date_caught: Date the animal was harvested from original population * Source: Original source * Days_since_release: number of days since release * fgm_ng_g: faecal glucocorticoid concentrations * Before_after: before or after translocation * Total_previous_caps: total number of times the animal was previously captured * Month: month * Year: year * Population: current population * Chuditch: mean daily chuditch detections #### File: IndividualLevelData.csv **Description:** Information on each individual that was translocated, NAs indicate that data were not available  ##### Variables * Date_caught: Date harvested for translocation * Source: Original source population; DNWS (Dryandra Numbat Woylie Sanctuary) or Dryandra_main (Dryandra main block) * Trap_No: Trap ID of the location where the animal was initially harvested from. The letters in the identifier relate to the trapping transect. * Release_point: Unique identifier of the release point at new site (those starting at STO released at Stokes, those starting with CON released at Contine) * Individual_ID: Unique identifier * Left_ear: Left ear tag * Right_ear: Right ear tag * Microchip: Microchip number * Age: Adult or subadult * Sex: Male or female * PY: Pouch young size (crown-rump, in cm) * Collar_frequency_factory: Factory frequency of radio collar * Collar_frequency: Actual frequency of radio collar * Collar_size: Number of holes used on the collar * Weight: Animal weight (g) * Pes: Hindfoot length (mm) * Head: head length (mm) * Body_condition: Score from 1-5, 1 is extremely poor, 5 = extremely good. * Ecto_count: Number of ectoparasites * DNA_sample: Corresponding DNA sample ID * Faecal_sample: corresponding faecal sample ID * Microchip_2: If animal given second microchip * Microchip_3: If animal given third micorchip * Collar_on: Date the collar was attached * Collar_off: Date the collar was removed * Date_Last_Caught: Last capture date * Date_release: Date the animal was released for translocation * Date_found_dead: Date the anima's carcass was located * Time_found: Time of locating carcass * Mortlity_hours: Number of hours since mortality mode was entered on the collar * Last.day.alive: Last day estimated to be alive * Comments:  * Last_Seen_Date: Last day captured * Site: Current site * FinalDays: Number of days known to be alive * Dead: Died yes or no * Cumulative_score: Cumulative agitation score before translocation * fgm_ng_g: Cortisol fGCM before translocation #### File: Trapping\_Data.csv **Description:** Data collected from individuals during capture. NAs indicate that data were either not available, or not applicable (for example if it were collected during a previous capture). ##### Variables * Site: Current site where animal was captured (Stokes or Contine) * Date: Date of capture * Session: Session relative to primary sessions in SECR analysis * Trap: Trap ID * Handler: Handler ID (anonymised) * Species: Species captured * Total_weight: Weight of bag + animal * Bag_weight: Weight of bag without animal * Weight: Weight of animal (g) * L_Ear: Left ear tag * R_Ear: Right ear tag * Sex: Male or female * Age: Adult or subadult * Head: Head length (mm) * Pes: Hindfoot length (mm) * Reproductive_Status: Active, virginal, parous * PY/CR: crown-rump length of pouch young * Microchip: microchip number * Comments: * Body Condition: Score from 1-5, 1 is extremely poor, 5 = extremely good. ## Code/software All analyses were conducted in the R environment. No specific software is required to view these data. ## Access information Other publicly accessible locations of the data: * NA Data was derived from the following sources: * NA