POPULATION-DYNAMICS OF THE RED FOX (VULPES-VULPES) AFTER THE DISAPPEARANCE OF RABIES IN COUNTY GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, GERMANY, 1987-1992

Data on 977 foxes harvested between November 1987 and March 1992 from the alpine county Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, concerning reproduc tion, sex-ratio and age-structure were combined with some results of a mark-recapture study and the hunting statistics in this area and used to construct a new fox-density population model on the basis of the j uvenile fox population. This to investigate the effects of the disappe arance of rabies on the population dynamics in spring 1985 after succe sful application of oral vaccination. The average adult fox density in spring, during 1987-1991, was estimated at 0.74 foxes/km(2). The adul t spring fox density was three times higher in the northern heterogene ous part of the county (1.77 foxes/km(2)) than in the southern alpine regions (0.59 foxes/km(2)). Annual losses, including fox hunting, coul d not prevent an increase of the fox density between 1987 and 1992. In 1992, seven years after the last fox rabies case, the increased fox d ensity apparently still has not reached its carrying-capacity. The fox es here live in a very stable environment with a high food-supply and number of denning sites, partly of anthropogenic origin.