Foxes
Red foxes are a common site across Ararat and Victoria and are a declared pest under the Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994. Foxes are well known for their extensive impacts on the environment, by:
- Preying upon native wildlife:
- Foxes contribute to the declining populations of more than 200 species in Victoria and are a significant threat to 95 Australian endangered species. Over 500 million native reptiles, birds and mammals are killed and eaten by foxes every year in Australia.
- Foxes contribute to the declining populations of more than 200 species in Victoria and are a significant threat to 95 Australian endangered species. Over 500 million native reptiles, birds and mammals are killed and eaten by foxes every year in Australia.
- Impacting agriculture:
- Foxes also prey upon livestock (mainly lambs and poultry), causing the loss of 10-30% of lambs in some areas. They can also spread disease such as hydatid tapeworm.
- The annual economic cost of fox predation in livestock is more than $198 million, including $17.5 million in Victorian sheep production loses.
- Impacting people:
- Foxes can spread diseases to people and pets (such as sarcoptic mange, hydatids, and leptospirosis), have been known to hunt and kill pets, damage gardens, infrastructure and riffle through rubbish and compost.
- Foxes can spread diseases to people and pets (such as sarcoptic mange, hydatids, and leptospirosis), have been known to hunt and kill pets, damage gardens, infrastructure and riffle through rubbish and compost.
- Increasing the spread of weeds:
- Foxes can disperse the seed of weeds that are attached to their fur or are present in their scats. Some species that are spread by fox faces are boxthorn (Lycium ferocissimum), sweet briar (Rubus rubiginosa) and blackberry (Rubus frutiscosis).
Juvenile foxes can disperse between 15 and 70km, adults can travel up to 10km in a single night in search of food, and they can live in high densities in urban (16 per km2) and agricultural landscapes (4-8km2).
Targeted and coordinated approaches to fox management ensure an effective and enduring outcome.
Further information about controlling foxes is available from:
- The Trust for Nature
- The National Feral Cat and Fox Management Coordination
- Agriculture Victoria
Agriculture Victoria offers a bounty for foxes that are killed on private property. To find out more, visit the Agriculture Victoria website.
Clearly identify the problem areas and individuals. Effective management requires specific targeting of breeding, feeding, and other active areas. Monitor your property to determine, and map, where these locations are.
You can use applications like FoxScan to record sightings and other evidence or see where they may have been spotted near your property.
Combining methods works best to reduce fox numbers. Populations need to be reduced by at least 65% to control population growth. The following methods are recommended:
- Baiting: Best at reducing population and impacts at the landscape scale.
- Shooting: Best for smaller scale control and targeting individuals.
- Trapping: Best for capturing and removing individuals that are wary and not attracted to baits.
- Guardian animals (often dogs): Best used to protect livestock but do not remove individuals from an area.
- Den fumigation: Best used to remove pups and parent individuals after breeding.
Native plants and wildlife, waterways, and culturally significant areas can be impacted by management actions. Make sure impacts are mitigated where possible, and work with responsible authorities (Council, Catchment Management Authorities, State Government, etc) to organise the required permits.
Undertake rabbit and fox control concurrently. Where rabbit populations are rapidly reduced, the loss of food source can cause foxes to increase hunting of native animals. Ensure this unintended consequence is managed by targeted both species at once.
Management is most effective when it is undertaken at the landscape scale, across properties. Liaise with your neighbours and local Landcare groups to develop a coordinated plan.
Make sure management actions are compliant with animal welfare, chemical handling and use, and firearms legislation and regulations.