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Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Late night encounter in suburban car park highlights issue that 'should concern everyone'
A late-night encounter in a suburban car park with an invasive predator has exposed a growing problem, which one Aussie warns should be a concern to "everyone". Western Sydney resident Gabriel was taking a stroll after dark when he came across an incredibly brazen fox. While the sighting itself is a common occurrence in urban spaces, what surprised the wildlife enthusiast was just how tame the invasive predator appeared to be. "I went for a walk, and when I was in the car park of Valentine Park, I saw this fox," Gabriel told Yahoo News of the encounter in Glenwood earlier this week. "I thought it would have seen me and run away, but it let me get really close, and even came sniffing for food. It was really tame, I believe, because it's in a suburb, it's become accustomed to humans." Prolific fox populations affect major cities across the country, with urban areas like Sydney, Melbourne and Perth hosting some of the highest populations in the country due to their availability of food, water and shelter. There are an estimated 1.7 million foxes in Australia, according to the Australian National University. "Foxes are one of the worst invasive species that we have here for many reasons," said Gabriel. "They adapt very well to almost everywhere, eat most food, they're smart and cunning, and they've made their home in the Sydney suburbs. "It should be a concern to everyone," he said. Reason foxes are a big problem in Australia Reacting to the footage, fox population management specialist Gillian Basnett told Yahoo that it's likely this one has been "fed by people before". "It is definitely not a good idea to feed foxes, both because they are a declared pest and have significant impacts on wildlife and pets and cause a nuisance, but also because if they become used to being fed and less scared of people, the risk of attack increases," she said. "It might be that they are more visible at the moment because they are searching out mates and den sites at this time of year," she explained. Growing populations of foxes have a major impact on wildlife, and are contributing to the speeding up of native animal loss in our cities, along with human activity. There have been several sightings in cities in recent months, with one Melbourne fox affectionately named 'Frédérique', by locals. Another fox was photographed standing in the middle of a busy Perth intersection in the middle of the day, not long after local authorities revealed the predators had killed 300 turtles in an ecologically significant set of wetlands over the span of a year. Basnet explained that managing foxes in urban areas is difficult due to the lack of access to management tools in heavily populated areas. "What we do know is that if we can remove/reduce the available food then we can reduce their numbers," she said. "There is a lot of food available in cities from rubbish, pet food, fruit, compost, discarded food and tips." 🚘 Predator spotted on Aussie road exposes sinister reality 🐢 Aussie council under pressure as iconic species ravaged by predator 📸 Sad story behind image of emu toes amid Australia's invasive species crisis How Aussies can help reduce fox populations Everyday Aussies can help reduce fox populations in cities by restricting access to food. Don't leave pet food outside overnight Use enclosed compost bins Keep domestic animals secure at night Remove fallen fruit around fruit trees Keep garbage bins covered Block entry points to drains Close off access to underneath buildings Use fox-proof enclosures for poultry, remember foxes dig and can climb Turn off outside lights that might attract insects Reduce weeds that provide food and shelter, such as Blackberries Record sightings in FoxScan. Deterrents need to be intermittent as they will habituate quickly. E.g. sensor spotlights rather than lights on all the time. Have gardens with lots of plants that wildlife can hide in, grasses, shrubs, rocks, logs, etc. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
New bins rolled out in national parks to tackle deadly Aussie issue
New bins will start appearing in select national parks in an attempt to tackle a deadly Aussie issue. This month, 12 fishing tackle bins will be installed throughout NSW with the goal of deterring fishers from dumping discarded fishing line and tackle — a sadly common act that has a devastating impact on the environment and wildlife. The NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) announced on Thursday it had teamed up with OzFish Unlimited — the country's only fishing conservation charity — to roll out the bins at various locations popular among anglers. The first one has been installed in Bongil Bongil National Park on the Mid North Coast, with the rest set to follow in the coming week. The 'tangle bins' will also be placed in select areas of the Royal National Park, Bents Basin State Conservation Area, Georges River, Kosciuszko National Park and the Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, a NPWS spokesperson confirmed to Yahoo News. Emma Kark, OzFish tackling litter manager, told Yahoo the bins will be monitored regularly. 'Tangle Bins provide opportunities for recreational fishers to safely and easily discard fishing gear they don't need or have collected from their favourite fishing spots,' she said. 'As climate change increases the frequency and severity of threats to Australia's waterways, there has never been a more crucial time to take care of the places we love to fish.' Discarded fishing gear continues to pose fatal risk to wildlife Discarded fishing gear is not only a significant source of pollution in the country's waterways, but entanglement and ingestion can injure or kill marine animals. Yahoo has reported on countless incidents of wildlife being caught up in fishing lines and hooks, including a corella left hanging upside down for days from a tree, a baby dolphin tangled in multiple strands of fishing line, and a turtle who was left fighting for its life after ingesting a hook. In February, a platypus turned up dead in NSW as a result of entanglement, and last month worried Sydneysiders called for help after spotting an injured cormorant at Balmoral Beach. While incidents like these are shocking to the public, they're an occurrence that wildlife rescuers see daily, prompting an urgent plea to fishers to 'leave no trace'. 'Fishing line entanglement is massive in the oceans and rivers... A lot of wildlife drown from fishing lines and hooks because they get caught up and they can't get out of the water,' rescuer William Watson previously told Yahoo after wading in a neck-high river to rescue a tangled ibis. 'Stomach-churning' reason behind popular Aussie tourist show Shocking find inside bird highlights worrying beach trend Tragic scene on Aussie roadside prompts urgent plea Additional Return & Earn bins installed at national park It's understood the fishing tackle bin initiative is part of NPWS's litter prevention strategy. In addition, the organisation has installed 13 Return & Earn baskets in Georges River National Park so it's easier for visitors to separate recyclables and cash-in cans and bottles. More Return & Earn bins will be installed in other locations in the coming months. 'The NPWS is doing its bit to reduce plastic waste through its litter prevention program,' a spokesperson for the organisation told Yahoo. 'This program is essential to tackle harmful waste through an ongoing coordinated approach to litter prevention within NSW national parks, with the primary objective of reducing rubbish at trial sites by 50 per cent.' Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Deadly creature catches Aussie snorkeller ‘by surprise' in popular rock pool
It was the distinctive blue lines on the octopus that drew Scott's attention - a clear warning sign from the creature to not get any closer. Video transcript This small and deadly creature in a rock pool caught one Aussie snorkeler by surprise. It was the distinctive blue lines on the octopus that drew Scott's attention, a clear warning sign from the creature to not get any closer. The blue-lined octopus, a species of the more commonly known blue-ringed octopus, carries enough venom to kill 26 adults within minutes. However, they're usually very timid and their bite is small, often only occurring if the creature is picked up. Due to their size and timid nature, few snorkelers are lucky enough to come across blue-lined octopuses in the wild. Scott said, they're very little creatures that are hard to spot at the best of times. That's why it was pretty cool to see. It caught me by surprise to see this little guy just cruising past, it was just amazing.