Aussies warned over major national park hazard to tackle 'big threat' from this week

Yahoo

2 days ago

Australians are being reminded that in just a matter of days, an expansive fox baiting program is due to commence on the east coast, aimed at reducing the growing population of the highly adaptable and invasive predator.
Across the country, foxes kill hundreds of millions of native animals per year, and in New South Wales, the pest is widespread. It's estimated they cost governments millions annually in eradication efforts, livestock losses, and environmental damage, meaning regular control efforts are critical to ensure their management remains possible.
The NSW Evrionment Department carries out fox control several times a year. But despite this, they're still found across up to 90 per cent of the state. From August 1 until January next year, another round of baiting will be conducted across NSW national parks and reserves, by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS).
The announcement prompted a callout from a number of local vets, warning that toxic bait is also harmful to domestic pets. They urged owners to be aware of the signs of ingestion, and to avoid areas where the poison will be laid.
In NSW, it's actually illegal to walk pets in most national parks, but despite this, evidence suggests it regularly occurs — either among people flouting the law or doing so unwittingly.
Speaking to Yahoo News, a NPWS spokesperson detailed the true scale of the threat foxes pose to both the state, and the nation. They explained that a "range of strictly controlled methods" are used to manage feral animals in national parks, with "decisions about control methods" for a particular species and circumstance made in consideration of humaneness and effectiveness.
"Invasive species are one of the biggest threats to native plants and animals and cause extensive damage to the environment, along with billions of dollars' worth of damage to Australian agricultural production each year," they said.
"Sodium fluoroacetate (1080) is the most effective landscape fox control method. 1080 is a naturally occurring compound found in some native plant species that rapidly breaks down in the environment."
They said extensive research has shown that native animals — including lace monitors, quolls and birds — have a high tolerance to 1080 at the concentrations used to control foxes.
Typically, 1080 fox baits resemble small chunks of meat or meat-like material, often dyed a distinct colour (usually green or red) to help identify them as toxic and discourage accidental handling.
In the state, without large-scale control efforts, foxes can quickly recolonise areas where populations were reduced, due to their mobility and territorial behaviour.
Is 1080 poison humane?
While 1080 poison remains a key tool in controlling invasive pests like foxes and wild dogs across Australia, it continues to stir debate over animal welfare. Critics, including some animal welfare organisations, environmentalists, and vets, argue the poison causes prolonged and distressing deaths, citing symptoms like vomiting, convulsions and frenzied behaviour. They label it inhumane and push for tighter restrictions or alternatives.
On the other hand, many scientific experts, particularly in conservation biology, defend the use of 1080 as a necessary evil in protecting native species. Australia's native wildlife has no natural defence against introduced predators like foxes and cats, which kill millions of animals annually. Without effective control, many endangered species face extinction.
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Supporters argue that while 1080 isn't perfect, it's currently the most effective broadscale option, especially in remote or rugged areas where trapping or fencing isn't feasible.
Research from institutions like the Invasive Species Council and CSIRO states that native animals are more tolerant to 1080 due to the presence of the chemical in some native plants. While concerns about cruelty remain, proponents say the ecological damage from unchecked predator populations would be far worse — and that alternatives either aren't viable at scale or pose greater risks to the environment.
And across NSW, population decline is strongly dependent on sustained, coordinated control efforts, highlighting the need for urgent and consistent action.
Why are foxes such a big problem in Australia?
Foxes were introduced to Australia in the 1860s by Europeans for recreational hunting. But since then, their numbers have exploded exponentially across the country, largely due to a lack of natural predators.
They feed on native species, particularly small mammals, reptiles, and ground-nesting birds, many of which are already vulnerable or endangered. Their introduction has significantly contributed to the decline of several native species, particularly small mammals like the bilby, numbat and bettong.
Foxes' hunting behaviour is opportunistic and highly efficient, often killing more than they need. Beyond their environmental impact, they pose risks to agriculture by preying on lambs and spreading diseases such as hydatid tapeworm.
Wildlife that benefit from fox control programs include brush-tailed rock-wallabies, malleefowl, bandicoots, little terns and plains wanderers, the NPWS said.
It conducts feral animal management in partnership with the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Local Land Services, and other landholders and managers. From August, bait will be laid in numerous locations, including the Garigal, Lane Cove, Ku-ring-gai Chase and Sydney Harbour National Parks.
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