Foxes, rabbits in Landcare’s sights
THE South Gippsland Landcare Network has started working on a new fox and rabbit control program.
Covering 16,000ha of coast and farmland, project planning and works have been underway for six months, with another two years of onground work to come.
Fox control will be undertaken through baiting on farmland and public land, with fox trapping in areas around Venus Bay and Tarwin Lower.
Rabbit control will be achieved via the release of a new strain of calicivirus at multiple locations across the area.
The project area runs from Venus Bay to Walkerville, between the Walkerville road and the coast.
“Foxes and rabbits are a threat to farm productivity as well as to wildlife. Forty-seven threatened wildlife species and 10 threatened plant species occur in the area,” Landcare coordinator Glenn Brooks-MacMillan said.
Landholders in this area are encouraged to contact SGLN on [email protected] for further details on how they can be involved in this exciting project, or contact Kristy on 0498 391 233. Properties will be selected based on a strategic baiting approach.
There will be a number of ways to get involved. These include having bait stations on your property, attending seminars and training courses and participating in logging sightings of pest animals in your area.
Signs will be displayed indicating where baiting is occurring, allowing dog owners to keep their dogs out of these areas.
Pet rabbit owners are encouraged to vaccinate their rabbits as soon as possible against calicivirus.
A community forum will be held on September 8 at the Tarwin Lower Community Centre from 10am to 1pm, with lunch.
Participants will hear about the fox control methods being used and about the calici release.
Peter Homan will also be showing photographs and videos of wildlife found in the area. For more information or to register for this free event go to https://foxandrabbitinfo.eventbrite.com.au.
SGLN will work with private landholders, community groups and public land managers to reduce the effects of both rabbits and foxes on local flora and fauna.
This will build on existing pest animal projects carried out in the area, including the fox control program the Friends of Venus Bay have been undertaking over the last 10 years.
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Posted by Tayla Kershaw on Aug 23 2019. Filed under News, Rural News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry
