The fox in Tasmania poses the most dramatic new threat to livestock agriculture and Tasmania's unique assemblage of mammalian wildlife for over a century.  Since the illegal release of foxes into Tasmania in 2000, a number of carcasses have been located and around 1000 fox sightings of varying quality reported.    The Tasmanian Fox Eradication Program set up a hotline (1300 369 688) and in the period from mid June to October 2007, 62 sightings were reported - of these, 19 were graded as 'excellent'.

The primary problem in mounting an effective eradication campaign is that the low density of foxes in the state makes the identification of fox populations difficult and renders the comprehensive targeting of eradication measures virtually impossible.    The Tasmanian government is nevertheless working hard with a new baiting program - more than 200,000 ha has been baited to date.  Because of the sensitive nature of Tasmania's environment and wildlife, baits not taken quickly by foxes are retrieved - a time-consuming but necessary task. 

Our project aims to provide the link between fox presence and control by undertaking a comprehensive survey of predator scats in Tasmania and using a PCR species identification test to identify scats that contain fox DNA.  Scats identified as originating from foxes, will serve as a trigger for fox control measures and increased surveillance in the surrounding area.  Selected local groups will be trained in the identification and collection of predator scats and these groups will then be coordinated in a systematic collection across Tasmania.