Fox predation of piglets

This project will focus on reducing the impact of fox predation on piglets in free-range and outdoor piggeries, trialling conditioned taste aversion training of foxes towards piglets as a method to reduce predation. The effectiveness of culling foxes at outdoor piggeries is limited by potential impacts of using poisons on the pigs themselves as well as reinvasion of foxes from surrounding farmland. Training rather than culling resident foxes during summer when predation is highest may be an effective way to reduce predation events. This can then be complemented by lethal control methods when fox numbers and predation events are less frequent.  This project will involve

• Extensive travel for field work (Manual drivers licence)
• Camera trapping and image analysis

 

Urban fox monitoring

Identifying which urban reserves are used by foxes, and how they get between these reserves, will help city councils to manage populations.  We are working with the City of Mandurah to develop monitoring methods to survey their urban bushland reserves and work towards protecting native species.

 

More information: contact Trish Fleming T.Fleming@murdoch.edu.au