Fox hunt back after four years
Fox baiting and trapping will be reinstated at West Cape Howe National Park next month after four years of no feral animal control in the area.
The project is part of a Torbay Catchment Group effort to protect the habitat of the critically endangered western ringtail possums in the region.
Torbay Catchment Group project officer Wendy Coffey said the group would contract Mike Butcher from Animal Pest Management Services to implement baiting, trapping and camera monitoring in the national park.
“We understand the ethical treatment of all animals is extremely important, and feral predator control will be undertaken in line with relevant legislation in a humane, ethical manner and with approval from DBCA,” she said.
“Mike has 37 years professional experience Australia-wide controlling pest animals and his methods of strategic baiting and trapping have had outstanding results.”
Ms Coffey said baiting and trapping in the national park would be conducted from May-October and funded by South Coast Natural Resource Management over three years.
“We are urging all local landholders to concentrate their feral animal management during May and October to support our whole of landscape approach to feral predator control,” she said.
“Targeting these months will capture young animals finding new territory in autumn, and breeding pairs in spring.”
The program will also support the annual Torbay Community Fox Shoot, subsidised 1080 baiting training, and workshops, and feral animal awareness events in the region.
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