Feral Fox and Rabbit Control

 A number of techniques are being used to control both foxes and rabbits.  Foxes when sighted and reported are caught at night using traps, the animals are then removed from reserves. If fox dens are located on land in reserves within the City of Melville then where possible the dens are destroyed or covered over to prevent other foxes from moving into the area. 

Feral rabbits are managed using a number of viruses including RHD or Calici virus and strains of Myxomatosis.  Rabbit warrens are located and mapped using GPS technology and when a virus has successfully controlled a rabbit population the warrens are destroyed using digging machinery.  

Pindone baits are not used in many of the City of Melville’s reserves due to the presence of Quenda or Southern Brown Bandicoots.  The control of rabbits needs to be undertaken at the same time as fox removals to prevent foxes from predating on Quenda when the rabbit population declines.