Watson's Creek Fox Control Project

This project is scaling up our successful Canid Pest Ejector (CPE) trials to cover a much wider catchment. Funded by the Department of Agriculture and administered by Nillumbik Shire Council it includes the Co-op, Bend of Islands Conservation Associate (BICA) and Christmas Hills Landcare groups.

Much has been achieved in the six months since receiving funding:

• Prerequisite training has been undertaken by all participants, and it is expected that the first CPE program will commence in July or August.

• Prospective locations for installing CPEs have been selected and confirmed by preliminary monitoring of the frequency of fox sightings.

• Procedures for collating data and reporting on outcomes are being developed for consistency across all locations.

• Workshops for managing cameras and CPE devices are being conducted to ensure all participants are competent.

When installed, CPE devices will be monitored by cameras to record animal interaction with the bait and collect data on outcomes.

It is expected that fox control programs will continue into the future, as experience indicates that foxes removed from our areas are likely to be replaced by foxes moving in from adjacent areas. Melbourne Water and Parks Victoria properties, as well as farmland properties adjacent to the Bend of Islands, are likely sources of foxes. Preliminary monitoring on Park Victoria’s ‘Yanakie’ property demonstrates that there is a high fox density on that property.

Data from the Co-op’s most recent CPE program illustrates the effectiveness in reducing fox presence but also illustrates the speed at which foxes repopulate our area.