NeemsFoxes-wildlife enemy number one
October 1st 2006 07:44
The second post in a series describing the enemies of the aussie bush and its wildlife is devoted to the fox. The red fox to be precise (Vulpes vulpes). The fox is a handsome looking creature with its bushy tail and red coat. Like the rabbit I guess, many people like to observe it in the wild but are unaware of the immense damage it causes to our native wildlife, particularly the small native mammals.
Introduced from England, the fox has adapted extremely well to the harsh Aussie conditions. It's a very adaptable animal and it will eat almost anything. Like the cat it is known to survive on insects, lizards and other less preferred snacks if it can't find a fresh possum or perhaps a feed of quail. An impending disaster for Australian wildlife is on the cards if fox numbers in Tasmania take off. Until very recently, the island state was free from foxes and it is thought if they increase in numbers they may have a significant impact on Tassie's Devil population, already under threat from a facial tumour disease.
In Australian states, foxes are a declared pest, which means it is written into state legislation that it is illegal to have them as pets, and if you're a landholder you have a duty to help control them if they are on your land. In most cases, control is done as a coordinated campaign, whereby neighbouring properties in the same area work together and a government officer will provide baits for everyone to distribute at the same time.
Another method of control is to offer money for their coats (called a 'bounty'). Some local governments offer up to $25 for a portion of the fox's coat (usually a strip of fur from the tip of the tail to the tip of the head as proof the animal has been killed). This has its problems as some people don't destroy the animal humanely and it encourages some to keep the fox around in the wild. Regardless, the fox will be around for a while, it is just a question of whether we can control the loss in native animals attributed to the fox's hunting. MB
Introduced from England, the fox has adapted extremely well to the harsh Aussie conditions. It's a very adaptable animal and it will eat almost anything. Like the cat it is known to survive on insects, lizards and other less preferred snacks if it can't find a fresh possum or perhaps a feed of quail. An impending disaster for Australian wildlife is on the cards if fox numbers in Tasmania take off. Until very recently, the island state was free from foxes and it is thought if they increase in numbers they may have a significant impact on Tassie's Devil population, already under threat from a facial tumour disease.
Bush Enemy No.1
In Australian states, foxes are a declared pest, which means it is written into state legislation that it is illegal to have them as pets, and if you're a landholder you have a duty to help control them if they are on your land. In most cases, control is done as a coordinated campaign, whereby neighbouring properties in the same area work together and a government officer will provide baits for everyone to distribute at the same time.
Another method of control is to offer money for their coats (called a 'bounty'). Some local governments offer up to $25 for a portion of the fox's coat (usually a strip of fur from the tip of the tail to the tip of the head as proof the animal has been killed). This has its problems as some people don't destroy the animal humanely and it encourages some to keep the fox around in the wild. Regardless, the fox will be around for a while, it is just a question of whether we can control the loss in native animals attributed to the fox's hunting. MB
| 131 |
| Vote |
Subscribe to this blog
Comment by Ragin Cajun
Observer's Post
Death By Myopia
Comment by MichaelB
Diet Dog