Fox eradication plan for sensitive Yass Gorge

ENVIRONMENT: In the wee early hours on a residential town block backing onto the Yass Gorge, a skinny adolescent fox rummages around the garbage bins in search of food.

It’s one of a growing number of foxes that are beginning to encroach into more urban areas after cleaning out the rabbit population in the gorge.

But this one’s come to the wrong home at the wrong time, and soon steps into a cage trap set by the team at All Ferals Pest Management.

It will be taken away and shot.

“She’s about 12 months old, from last year’s litter. She’s now out of the den because there would be new pups,” says co-director Scott Corcoran.

“This lot is establishing their own territory now. All the rabbits are gone, so they are coming into people’s yards to eat chickens and rubbish.”

It’s when they start to appear during the daylight hours and come foraging for human food that you get a clear indication of how “healthy” the feral pest population is in the area, he says.

He and co-director Alan Hill launched their business four months ago to meet demand for the humane removal of pests including possums, snakes, goats, wild boar, foxes, wild dogs, feral cats and deer.

“We’ve recommended all the dens in Yass Gorge area be fumigated because of the fact that in the gorge area you’ve got the walking trail, poisoning just isn’t appropriate because of the human and pet traffic – it’s too risky,” Mr Corcoran says.

They are in talks with Yass Valley Council and Local Land Services to take on the fox eradication program currently under consideration for Yass Gorge.

The area is about to be upgraded to “critically endangered” at a national level because of its natural temperate grassland (NTG) that is almost extinct in other parts of the state.

NTG areas are home to endangered flora and fauna such as Yass’s own Spotted Yellow Bell Frog, the Golden Sun Moth, Grassland Lined Earless Dragon, Pink Tailed Worm Lizard, Yass Daisy, Leek Orchid and Button Wrinklewort, to name a few.

Friends of Yass Gorge founding member Ross Webster says feral pests are threatening the wildlife in the gorge, livestock on farmland and penned urban animals too.

“Several people have lost a dozen fowls each. It’s also affecting the breeding of rare wild ducks in the area, they’re called the Black Pacific Duck.

An adolescent fox was caught this morning looking for food in the areas surrounding the environmentally sensitive Yass Gorge.

“There were three breeding pairs with 27 young between them, and now we’ve only got about two or three left.”

A co-ordinated long term management plan was needed to stay on top of the problem season after season and bring all interested parties together, says councillor Jasmin Jones.

“Council voted down my motion this week in favour of a buck pass back to Local Land Services; imagine if every farmer said the foxes on their land was the LLS’s problem,” she said.

However, council had since tentatively agreed to help and she was hopeful Hume MP Angus Taylor would support a pilot idea involving the Green Army.

“Because of the proximity to town the plan for Yass Gorge will require a mix of sensitive measures such as den fumigation and daily checking of soft mouth traps, along with regular baiting on the surrounding farmland.

“The Green Army would be best placed to do this work with co-ordinated supervision and training through LLS and the Friends Group. Council Environmental and Planning staff have agreed today to assist the Friends of Yass Gorge to create a “Crown Land Act” compliant management plan which could hopefully attract funding grants,” she said.

“The implications if we get this pilot up for Australia nationally on pest eradication, is huge. It would be terrific to see Yass as the pilot, given it’s such a sensitive area and about to be listed as critically endangered under new federal review.”

All Ferals Pest Management directors Scott Corcoran and Alan Hill with the fox they trapped this morning. PHOTO: Katharyn Brine