Fourteen councils across southern, inner and eastern Sydney have banded together to develop a regional approach to fox management.
As part of the approach a dedicated webpage – ‘FoxScan’ – was launched last month on National Threatened Species Day.
FoxScan is an online initiative of the Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre (IACRC) that allows residents to immediately record fox sightings.
Mr Peter West, Project Leader with IACRC, and Research Officer with NSW Department of Primary Industries said FoxScan would grant councils a better understanding of feral fox numbers and locations.
“This coordinated approach to monitoring fox sightings across the region will help councils tackle the fox problem in urban areas.
“Recording where you see foxes, how many, and what problems they are causing can help local authorities and community groups develop strategies to reduce problems caused by foxes.”
In collaboration with Royal Botanic Gardens the participating councils are Ashfield, Auburn, Bankstown, Canada Bay, Canterbury, City of Sydney, Hurstville, Kogarah, Marrickville, Randwick, Rockdale, Strathfield, Sutherland, and Waverley.
These council areas contain numerous threatened species preyed on by foxes, including pied oystercatchers, little terns, green and golden bell frogs, bush stone-curlews, powerful owls, giant burrowing frogs, and long-nosed bandicoots.
Foxes are also attracted to backyard chickens as well as other native mammals, birds, reptiles and frogs.
The Southern Sydney Feral Foxes project is supported by Sydney Coastal Councils Group through funding from the Australian Government.
