- Poisons
- Traps
- Shooting/Hunting
- Biological Control
Poisons
Poisons such as Sodium Monofluoroacetate (1080) are used in dry
baits, which are much more effective on foxes than on other
animals, such as feral cats, as foxes are mostly scavengers.
Shooting/Hunting
Polar fox in the wild.
©Natuurfotografie.
Foxes were introduced for hunting as a recreation. But now, due
to animal rights organisations having a strong influence on
fashion trends, fur and hunting are no longer fashionable and
the price of fur and fur industry is unstable.
Biological Control
Immuno-
contraception.
©Team 00128,
ThinkQuest 2003Immunocontraception is in the experimental phase, currently. If
it is accepted and adopted by the Australian Government and the
CSIRO, it is expected to decrease the fox population by
approximately 80%. The effect would be achieved by inoculating
viral vectors (organisms that carry disease from one creature to
another) with the immunocontraceptive. Because these vectors
must consume blood frequently in order to live, the
immunocontraceptive that they carry would ultimately be passed to
the foxes when the vectors prey upon these creatures, thereby
resulting in sterilisation among a large proportion of foxes in
Australia. But in order for this to work the vector must infect
a large percentage of vixens (female foxes). But with foxes,
unlike rabbits and cats, the immunocontraceptive could be
delivered through baits, like poisons, as these scavenging
vermin take to baits.
