The feral fox is a major pest in Australia, costing $227.5 million annually in stock and biodiversity losses, as well as money spent trying to control them. With land managers long trying to find the most efficient and cost effective way to control them, the University of Western Australia has initiated the Fox DNA Project.
The project is an Australia wide study of the genetics of feral foxes. It aims to improve the understanding of fox movement patterns, so that control operations can be made more effective.
A key to this project is determining how far foxes move. While measuring movement patterns in foxes is quite difficult, new DNA based methods can provide excellent information, while requiring much less effort than other techniques. The process works work by measuring how the relatedness of foxes decreases with distance.
The university researchers are asking members of the public, sporting shooters, land care groups, local Councils, and government agencies to provide samples of foxes they shoot, trap, or find as road kill. They have developed easy to use kits that fit into a small padded envelope, which can easily be stored in a glove box or toolkit. The kits contain all the information and equipment required to take samples. Once a sample is taken, it is put into a reply paid envelope and sent for analysis at the University of Western Australia.
Using this DNA testing, the University of Western Australia is attempting to generate a genetic map of foxes throughout Australia. It aims to identify precisely the relevant scale at which fox control should take place, region by region, Australia wide, so that controlled areas are not immediately reinvaded by foxes from surrounding regions.
Results will be published on www.foxDNA.animals.uwa.edu.au as they become available, enabling participants to see how their samples have contributed to the overall project and to find out about the management implications of the results.
Councils wishing to take part can call Dr Oliver Berry on 1800 633 097.
