School of Environmental and Information Sciences and The Johnstone Centre, Charles Sturt University, Thurgoona. PO Box 789, Albury NSW 2640. A study is currently being conducted in a small area of the Alpine National Park and adjacent public land in Victoria's north-east highlands close to where a number of endangered species are known to exist. Scat data were compared with previous survey data collected over the past two years by NRE officers to find patterns in predator ratios, movement, abundance, and diet over time. Hair samples collected and examined provide a representation of the ground-dwelling mammal species present within the study area and thus what may be considered potential prey.
Preliminary findings indicate intensive use of the study area by all three species.
A variety of native small mammal species including endangered species inhabit the region and appear in the diet of predator species. Fluctuations in the occurrence of both predator and prey species in the study area are also indicated by scat and sand plot data.