Target Specificity of Foxoff Baits at Belair National Park.

Abstract

Red Foxes (Vulpes vulpes) pose a significant threat to small native mammals in Australia (Saunders et al. 1995) and may restrict the recovery of some populations of native mammals and birds (Norman, Cullen and Dann 1992; Augee, Smith and Rose 1996; Priddel and Wheeler 1996; Seebeck and Booth 1996; Smith and Quin 1996). In the Adelaide area V. vulpes are wide- spread in the hills. They are often reported near houses and are a nuisance because of their predation on backyard poultry. Within Belair National Park, an area of 840 ha located in the Adelaide hills about 8 km from the City Centre, foxes are a potential danger to small native mammals, such as the Southern Brown Bandicoot (lsoodon obesulus).There is a small population of I. obesulus in Belair National Park, (Regel et al. 1996) of which 62 individuals from an area of about 30 ha were recently marked with microchips. A fox baiting program with Foxoff® in autumn 1996 in Belair National Park saw the uptake of 97 poisoned baits, with two fox carcasses located.