NSW helps Tasmania put the lid on foxes

Forests NSW feral animal control officer at Tumbarumba, Mark Goldspink, recently did his bit to help Tasmania’s fox problem.

He was one of a number of presenters working with twelve Tasmanians from the Department of Primary Industries and Water - Fox Eradication Program, at a fox control course at Orange Agricultural Institute last week.

The three-day course was run by NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) with principle presenters from NSW DPI and Vertebrate Pest Research Unit, Molong Rural Lands Protection Board and Phillip Island Nature Park.

NSW DPI course coordinator, Cathy Crawford, said the intensive course focussed on providing technical and practical advice to help Tasmania tackle this elusive and adaptable predator, recognised nationally as the single most devastating introduced pest and threat to Australia's native wildlife.

An accumulation of physical evidence indicates foxes (Vulpes vulpes) are present in Tasmania and threaten the State's wildlife, agriculture, tourism and economy.

The island State is recognised as a national and international fauna haven due to the lack of foxes, but should the species become established nearly all of Tasmania's native land animals will be at risk.

Ms Crawford said the course covered such things as fox biology, control and impacts, predator prey, animal welfare, research, spotlighting and monitoring techniques.

Tim Bloomfield from Phillip Island Nature Park, which has a major fox problem particularly with the penguins, provided input and presented fox control techniques.

On a property near Orange, Mark Goldspink, used his dogs Crackers and Flash to show the Tasmanians how to locate fox scent marking stations.

"I demonstrated how to set a variety of soft-jaw, leg-hold traps and the different techniques and skills I use to try and catch the fox.

"It is also important when tracking a fox to understand the layout of the land. I use my knowledge to visualise where I think the fox will come from and understand why they move as they do," he said.

The next day, Mr Goldspink took the Tasmanians back around the trap line and showed them the tell tale signs of foxes being present. He also explained DPI’s integrated pest management program, which involves a combination of sand monitoring, mound baiting and soft-jaw, leg-hold traps, plus guard animals such as alpacas, llamas and maremma guard dogs.

"The Tasmanians do their work quite differently to me, and I think they got a lot out of being shown the different techniques I use as they prepare to tackle the fox," he said.

Photos from sarahc@sf.nsw.gov.au

Further reading

NSW Invasive Species Plan 2008-2015