Red foxes in Australia facts for kids

A red fox in the Great Otway National Park in 2019

Red foxes are a big problem for Australia's unique native animals. These foxes are an invasive species, meaning they are not native to Australia and cause harm to the environment. Experts believe there are more than 7.2 million red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) living across most of the Australian mainland. Settlers first brought these foxes to Australia around the 1830s. Because they spread so quickly and caused so much damage, red foxes are considered one of the most harmful invasive species in Australia.

Red Foxes in Australia

How Foxes Arrived and Spread

People first brought European red foxes to Australia in the 1830s and 1840s. They were introduced for a traditional English sport called fox hunting. The foxes quickly spread across the mainland. They became very successful predators because there were not many other large meat-eating animals to compete with them, except for dingoes. The spread of red foxes also happened at the same time as the spread of rabbits, which were another invasive species brought for hunting. For a long time, people thought foxes could not live on the island of Tasmania. This was because of native animals like the Tasmanian devil. However, since 2010, red foxes have been seen in Tasmania too.

Where Red Foxes Live Today

A fox in Mornington Peninsula National Park

Today, you can find established groups of red foxes in all Australian states. They are widespread across the country. The only places they are not common are the very hot, tropical areas of northern Queensland, the Kimberley, and the Top End of the Northern Territory. Since 2010, officials have confirmed that foxes are present in Tasmania. Foxes are also found more and more in cities and suburbs, even in large cities like Melbourne. They are generally less common in areas where dingoes live. Foxes have found ways to live alongside other animals like feral dogs and feral cats, often by digging dens.

How Foxes Harm Native Wildlife

Red foxes cause serious harm to Australia's unique native animals. The conservation department in Western Australia estimates that introduced predators, like foxes, are responsible for the disappearance of ten native species in that state. Red foxes have directly caused the extinction and decline of many small marsupials. These include animals like the desert rat-kangaroo.

The increase in red fox numbers is directly linked to the decline of several native marsupials. These include the brush-tailed bettong, burrowing bettong, rufous bettong, Greater bilby, numbat, bridled nailtail wallaby, and the quokka. Most of these animals now only live in small, protected areas. These areas are often islands where foxes are not present or are very rare. In 2016, scientists even found that some red foxes in Australia had learned to climb trees. They did this to hunt birds, baby koalas, and other tree-dwelling creatures like sugar gliders. This showed that even animals in trees were not safe from them.

Some researchers also suggest that foxes might help by eating pests like rodents and rabbits. However, the main concern remains their negative impact on native Australian wildlife.

Managing the Fox Problem

Controlling red foxes is a very difficult task. This is because they often hide in dens and hunt mostly at night. Efforts to manage foxes focus on different methods to reduce their numbers.

Control Methods

• Baits: The main way to control foxes is by using special baits. These baits usually contain a poison called 1080 poison.
• Hunting: Fox hunting is allowed in all states. People often shoot foxes at night using spotlights. They can also attract foxes during the day using special fox whistles. Hunters identify foxes by their glowing eyes at night and their body shape.
• Fenced Reserves: In smaller, fenced areas, removing feral cats and red foxes can allow native mammal species to be brought back. However, this can take a lot of time and effort. For example, a fox nicknamed Rambo at the Australian Wildlife Conservancy's Pilliga reserve avoided all attempts to catch him for four and a half years. This delayed plans to reintroduce other mammals until his presumed death in 2022.
• Reintroducing Native Predators: Another idea is to bring back native animals that compete with foxes. Research has shown that having more dingoes can reduce the number of foxes and help native animals thrive. Some experts have also suggested bringing Tasmanian devils back to the mainland. This could help control foxes, similar to how they helped keep foxes out of Tasmania in the past. It would also help ensure the survival of the Tasmanian devil species.

Western Shield Program: Protecting Western Australia

The government of Western Australia runs a program called Western Shield. This program uses baiting from both the air and by hand. They cover a huge area of almost 35,000 square kilometers. The goal is to control both foxes and feral cats to protect native wildlife.

The "Fox Free Tasmania" Story

Around 1999 or 2000, it was believed that red foxes had been brought to Tasmania. This was a big concern because Tasmania had been fox-free and had many unique native animals, like the eastern bettong, that would be at risk. A program was started by the Tasmanian Department of Primary Industries and Water to try and remove any foxes.

There was a lot of discussion and investigation about whether foxes were truly established in Tasmania. The program involved targeted baiting and cost over $50 million. It ended in 2013 after no clear evidence of foxes had been found since 2011. In 2015, a study suggested that if foxes had ever been in Tasmania, they were no longer present by that time. Later, some questions arose about the evidence collected during the program. It was a complex situation, but the main goal was always to protect Tasmania's precious native wildlife from the threat of foxes. Experts estimate that Tasmania could support a large population of up to 300,000 foxes if they were to become established.

Learn More

• Invasive species in Australia