Early success with fox control program

A fox control program, funded through the State Government Gippsland Lakes Program, has begun with great success in partnership with Trust for Nature, East Gippsland Landcare Network, Parks Vic and landholders. The program covers the Blond Bay State Game Reserve and surrounding private land.

Brett Mills, Project Manager, Trust for Nature, explained that this success is based on the reduction in the fox population within the project area, “75 foxes have been killed within the first 6 weeks of the control program.

This has been achieved through a combination of poison baiting within the reserve and a fox bounty offered to the adjoining private landholders.”

Brett added that, “This substantial fox take so early in the control program suggests that the fox population was very high with much higher population numbers than was initially estimated.”

The project aims are to reduce and control the number of foxes within the project area in order to protect and increase waterbird populations across private and public land.

The project will continue until January next year and will provide benefit for not only waterbirds in this area but also for farming community within the area around the Gippsland lakes.

A reduction in predators will improve ecosystem adaption to climate change by increasing resiliency of water birds and other native fauna to survive, by providing safe refuge and areas for feeding and breeding in the absence of foxes.

For further information contact East Gippsland Landcare Network about the community incentive program and to participate in the private land fox control program, particularly, the fox bounty, free dog muzzles and reimbursement for baiting on private land.

Media release and photos courtesy of Trust For Nature