European Red Fox

EUROPEAN RED FOX
(VULPES VULPES)
Since they were introduced for recreational hunting in the mid-1800s, foxes have spread across most of
Australia. They have played a major role in the decline of a number of species of native animals and they
also prey on newborn lambs. Control of foxes relies heavily on conventional techniques such as shooting,
poisoning and fencing. In the future, a combination of biological and conventional control methods may
be able to reduce the damage foxes cause.
History
Ecology
The European red fox was deliberately introduced

to Australia for recreational hunting in 1855 and fox
populations became established in the wild in the
early 1870s. Within 100 years, the fox had spread
across most of Australia, although it currently does
not occur in the tropical north and some off-shore
islands remain fox free. In response to growing
evidence of a low-density, widely distributed fox
presence in Tasmania, eradication efforts began in
Tasmania in 2002..
The fox survives in many different habitats,

including urban, alpine and arid areas. Outside
urban areas, it appears to be most abundant in
lightly wooded areas that are typically found in
agricultural landscapes offering a wide variety of
shelter and food.
During the day, the fox sleeps in dens, logs and
other shelter it is mainly active at night. The
fox eats almost anything, scavenging and preying
on whatever is available. Its main food source is
small animals, but it also eats insects and fruit,
particularly in summer when preferred prey is less
abundant.
Both males and females are sexually mature at the
age of one year. Litters, averaging four cubs, are
born during August and September, and emerge
from the den in late spring. The cubs move away
from the family territory in late summer or autumn.
Causes of fox mortality include shooting, trapping
and predation by dingoes. Diseases such as
mange and distemper may also be a significant
cause of death in fox populations.
environment.gov.au
Distribution of european red fox in Australia
Sources: National Land & Water Resources Audit (2008) Assessing invasive animals in Australia 2008, NLWRA,
Canberra./SEWPaC (2010) Feral animals on offshore islands database located at http://www.environment.gov.au/
biodiversity/invasive/ferals/islands/
Tasmanian Department of Primary industries, Parks, Water and Environment (2010) Locations of Fox Activity in
Tasmania updated May 2010, located at http://www.dpiw.tas.gov.au/inter.nsf/Attachments/MMAN-86X4RB/$FILE/
Fox%20Activity%20Map_28MAY10.pdf
Impact
The fox has played a major role in the decline
of ground-nesting birds, small to medium sized
mammals such as the greater bilby, and reptiles
such as the green turtle. While land use change is
cited as one of the key reasons for decline in many
native species, predation by foxes has also been
a significant contributor to native animal decline
and continues to undermine recovery efforts for
environment.gov.au
threatened species as the malleefowl, the bridled

nail-tail wallaby and the night parrot.
The fox causes significant economic losses to
farmers by preying on newborn lambs, kid goats
and poultry.
The fox could also act as a carrier of rabies,
should the disease accidentally be introduced into
Australia. Rabies mostly affects members of the
dog family, but can also be passed on to humans,
livestock and native mammals.
Control
In the past, bounties have been paid to remove
foxes from the wild, but these have rarely been
effective in reducing the damage caused by foxes.
Similarly, hunting does not seem to have had a
significant or lasting impact on fox numbers or the
damage they cause.
Preventing the introduction of foxes to new areas,
such as islands, is a high priority. Islands are
often refuges for animals no longer found on the
mainland.
In south-west Western Australia, fencing and broad
scale fox control with 1080-poison baits has been
used successfully, allowing populations of some
native mammals to begin to recover and return to
former habitats. Similar control activities have been
undertaken in eastern Australia. The use of poison
baits for fox control must take into account possible
effects of the baits on other animals. Burying baits
reduces the likelihood of the baits being taken
by native animals, and foxes can still find them.
Such control efforts can ease the pressure on
populations of native animals, but it is expensive
and must be maintained indefinitely.
Scientists are investigating ways to improve
conventional fox control methods to make them
more effective and humane, and less likely to
harm non-target animals including the use of an
alternative toxin to 1080.
Foxes are less common where dingoes are
present, and this may be another form of biological
control. Researchers are looking at the interactions
between foxes, dingoes, wild dogs and feral cats;
their findings could help in integrating fox, wild dog
and feral cat control.
environment.gov.au
How the Australian Government is

dealing with a national problem
Predation by the European red fox is listed as a
key threatening process under the Commonwealth
Environment Protection and Biodiversity
Conservation Act 1999 (the EPBC Act). Under
the EPBC Act, the Australian Government, in
consultation with the states and territories, has
developed the Threat Abatement Plan for Predation
by the European Red Fox.
The threat abatement plan aims to reduce the
impact of predation by foxes by:
Preventing foxes occupying new areas in
Australia and eradicating foxes from highconservation-value islands;
Promoting the maintenance and recovery of
native species and ecological communities that
area affected by fox predation;
Improving knowledge and understanding of fox
impacts and interactions with other species and
other ecological processes;
Improving the effectiveness, target specificity,
integration and humaneness of control options
for foxes; and
Increasing awareness of all stakeholders of the
objectives and actions of the threat abatement
plan, and of the need to control and manage
foxes.
Fox control programs need to be coordinated with
other activities that may be taking place, including
the on-ground protection of threatened plants and
animals, and control of other invasive species
such as feral rabbits and feral cats. The plan
provides a framework that enables the best use of
the resources available for fox management. The
Australian Government works with the states and
territories to deal with this national problem.
More information about the Threat Abatement

Plan for Predation by the European Red Fox
can be found at http://www.environment.gov.au/
biodiversity/threatened/publications/tap/foxes08.
html
Further reading:
Improving Fox Management Strategies in
Australia (2007) Saunders, G. and McLeod, L.
Bureau of Rural Sciences, Canberra.
For further information, contact:

Department of Sustainability, Environment,
Water, Population and Communities
GPO Box 787
Canberra ACT 2601
Phone: 1800 803 772
Web site http://www.environment.gov.au/
biodiversity/invasive/index.html
InvasiveSpecies@environment.gov.au
Commonwealth of Australia 2010

This work is copyright. You may download, display, print and reproduce this material in unaltered form only (retaining this notice) for your personal,
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Disclaimer
The views and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Australian Government or the
Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities.
environment.gov.au
BIO53.0610
Photo credits in order: Illustration of European fox (Karina Hansen McInnes), Fox with animal in mouth (C.Marks), European fox (Daryl
Panther), Fox in trap (SEWPaC), Fox eating baited rabbit (SEWPaC)

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EUROPEAN RED FOX

The European red fox was deliberately introduced

The fox survives in many different habitats,

Distribution of european red fox in Australia

threatened species as the malleefowl, the bridled

How the Australian Government is

More information about the Threat Abatement

For further information, contact:

Commonwealth of Australia 2010

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