Fox Management in Georges River During 2019-2020, 17 foxes were removed from the Georges River area under the ongoing Fox Management Program. There were also two Fox Education Workshops held in partnership with Local Land Services, as well as development and distribution of Council's Fox Education Guide. Georges River Council is recommencing fox control in 2021 throughout our LGA in bushland reserves including: Riverwood Park and Lillian Rd Reserve, Riverwood Edith Bay Reserve, Lugarno H.V. Evatt Park, Lugarno Oatley Park, Oatley Lime Kiln Bay Reserve, Peakhurst Heights Myles Dunphy Reserve, Oatley Poulton Park, Hurstville Grove Kyle Williams Reserve, Blakehurst Carss Bush Park, Carss Park; and various other sites. If foxes are invading your property and you'd like a cage trap installed by a licensed contractor, please email our Senior Environment Officer. Council wishes to advise that the use of soft jaw leg-hold traps were included in the Fox Management Program approved at Council's Meeting on 11 March 2019 and are regulated through the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1979 s 23. Council employs highly experienced and appropriately qualified pest animal management contractors who use Bridger #1.65 leg hold traps equipped with thick rubber 'jaws' and two springs to increase shock absorption and minimise damage to the trapped animal. All traps are monitored daily by motion-detector cameras and the contractor. For more information please contact Council's Senior Environment Officer on 9330 6400.

Since its introduction to Sydney almost 150 years ago, the European Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) has contributed to serious declines and extinctions in native fauna.

Native Australian animals didn’t evolve with foxes and have not developed strategies to avoid fox predation. As a result, native species as varied as reptiles, frogs and insects are easy prey to foxes and other introduced predators. Ground-dwelling native animals and freshwater turtles are particularly at risk.

Even small numbers of foxes can devastate populations of native animals and jeopardise recovery efforts for threatened species.

Foxes are well known for surplus killing: savaging multiple animals at one time but eating few or even none of their victims. In June 2015 a single fox killed nearly a quarter of the little penguin population in Manly in less than two weeks.
 

How can you help?

Foxes can be identified through their kills or scat.

Fox Scat Identification

• Fox scats are similar to small dog scats; however they are thinner and have a distinct curved tail at the end.
• Fox scats will contain hair, seeds and bone due to their unique omnivorous diet.

Further information is outlined in Council's Fox Education Guide.

Reporting fox sightings

You can report fox sightings to Council on 9330 6400 , visiting FoxScan or by downloading the FeralScan App.

The following general tips will also help:

• Not leaving pet food out overnight
• Using enclosed compost bins
• Removing fallen fruit at base of garden trees and on lower branches
• Keeping garbage bins and skip bins covered
• Keeping domestic prey animals such as poultry in fox-proof enclosures; and
• Join a local Bushcare group to help control fruit-bearing weeds

Recorded fox sightings in Georges River Council's LGA- April 2020 to April 2021. Source: FoxScan

 

Keeping chickens

Keeping chickens is an economical way to source your own food and Council supports residents who choose to do so, provided these NSW regulations for keeping poultry are followed:

• limited to a floor area of 15m2
• a maximum height of 3m above ground level (existing)
• located in the rear yard
• limited to one per property
• a distance from the boundary of 3m
• located at least 4.5m from any dwelling, public hall, school or premises used for the manufacture, preparation, sale or storage of food
• made of materials that blend with the environment  and be non-reflective
• adequately drained
• paved with concrete, mineral asphalt, or situated on clean sand underneath the roosts or perches
• occupied by no more than 10 fowls or poultry.

 

Keep those foxes out!

You can make your chicken enclosure relatively fox-proof by following these useful tips:

• Fences should be no less than 1800mm high and constructed with thick, 0.9mm wire with gaps no less than 80mm
• Fences should be curved outwards at the top to prevent a fox jumping over and stretch out 450mm at the bottom either under or above ground
• Gates should remain locked when not in use, ideally with a padlock or self-closing mechanism

If you follow these tips and make sure to report any wily fox activity in your area to FoxScan, your chickens will enjoy a far better quality of life!

Sutherland Shire Council runs chook keeping workshops and has some more information about safely keeping chickens on their website.

More Information

Further enquiries can be directed to Council’s Senior Environment Officer on 9330 6400 or by email. 

Please visit the SSROC website, PestSmart website and review our Fox Education Guide.