Wildlife carer launches $5 bounty scheme to combat invasive Indian mynas

A grassroots campaign to control invasive Indian mynas is gaining momentum across Queensland, with one wildlife carer taking matters into her own hands after years of inaction from state and federal authorities.

Shannon Mathes, who runs a wildlife rescue service in Charleville in south-west Queensland, has launched a self-funded bounty programme offering $5 for every Indian myna humanely caught in the region. The initiative reflects growing community frustration over what experts describe as a "patchwork approach" to managing a bird species widely referred to as the "cane toad of the sky".

Threat to native species mounting

The Indian myna, also known as the common myna, is listed among the world's 100 most invasive species. Native to Asia, the birds have established themselves across much of eastern Australia over the past two decades, competing aggressively with native wildlife for food, nesting sites, and habitat.

"They're driving out all of our native wildlife from all of our local trees in our areas and even small mammals like our gliders, possums, small reptiles," Ms Mathes said.

The species poses a particular threat to hollow-dependent native birds and arboreal mammals that depend on tree cavities for shelter and nesting. Their aggressive territorial behaviour and dietary habits have already decimated populations of native honeyeaters, lorikeets, and other cavity-nesting species in affected regions.

Patchwork management fuelling local action

The absence of coordinated state or federal management programmes has left communities to develop their own solutions. While some Queensland councils have begun offering bounties or implementing localised control measures, the inconsistent approach has highlighted the need for a more comprehensive strategy.

Ms Mathes's Charleville initiative, located approximately 800 kilometres inland from the coast, represents a significant volunteer effort by a single carer to address an ecological problem that extends across the entire continent. Her programme demonstrates the lengths to which community members are willing to go when government agencies fail to act decisively.

Calls for coordinated government response

Environmental advocates and community groups are increasingly calling on state and federal governments to implement a unified management programme similar to those deployed against other invasive species. Without such intervention, experts warn that Indian myna populations will continue expanding, further threatening Australia's already vulnerable native bird populations.

The situation mirrors historical management challenges with other invasive species, including the cane toad, which has cost Australian agriculture and ecosystems billions of dollars since its introduction in the 1930s.

Original reporting by Hannah Walsh and Lachlan Ford, ABC Western Queensland