Potential disease risks to humans, domestic animals and wildlife will be the focus of the Menangle fox control campaign meeting next week.
Coordinated by Greater Sydney Local Land Services, the campaign is now in its third year and has grown to incorporate university research projects as well as two offshoot control groups in the Wedderburn and Cobbitty regions.
Program coordinator Dr Alison Towerton said almost 180 landholders had been engaged through the project to date.
“Thanks to the ongoing support of local landholders, Barragal Landcare volunteers and local councils we estimate we have covered about 1,600 hectares of land for proactive pest control,” she said.
“The ultimate aim of this work is to build a control program empowering landholders and the community to carry out coordinated fox control that has a lasting impact,” she said.
“We have certainly made significant progress but, as always, the more people involved the better and I would encourage anyone impacted by foxes to come along to the latest meeting and see what it’s all about.”
The workshop will include presentations from two Macquarie University fox research group members, who will outline the results of their respective studies to date as well as demonstrations of various control methods include the use of canid pest ejectors.
“The university research is fascinating and includes a look at the dynamics of the fox population across Sydney’s differing landscapes as well as an in depth look into diseases in local fox populations and the subsequent risks to humans, pets, livestock and native wildlife,” Dr Towerton said.
The meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 9 at Cawdor Public School and is open to both rural and residential landowners. Registrations can be made online.
The Menangle fox control campaign is coordinated by Greater Sydney Local Land Services in partnership with Barragal Landcare, Campbelltown, Wollondilly and Camden Councils and is supported through the NSW Environmental Trust.
