D. Priddel et R. Wheeler, EFFICACY OF FOX CONTROL IN REDUCING THE MORTALITY OF RELEASED CAPTIVE-REARED MALLEEFOWL, LEIPOA-OCELLATA, Wildlife research, 24(4), 1997, pp. 469-482
The effectiveness of localised, high-intensity fox baiting in reducing
the incidence of fox predation was examined after captive-reared mall
eefowl were released and their survival monitored. Malleefowl released
into baited areas survived longer than those released into nearby are
as that had not been baited. Survival in both baited and non-baited ar
eas was greater than that prior to any fox control. Of those malleefow
l released, 29% were still alive three months later, whereas prior to
fox control almost all were killed by foxes within a month of release.
Despite the improvement in survival of malleefowl, fox predation rema
ined the primary cause of malleefowl mortality. The number of baits ta
ken by foxes indicated a large fox population and a high level of rein
festation. A more widespread, but less intensive, regime of baiting fa
iled to further enhance the survival of malleefowl. Malleefowl were al
so particularly vulnerable to-predation by raptors in habitats where t
he mallee was interspersed with areas of open woodland, and where the
understorey was sparse. Fox baiting will need to be frequent, intensiv
e and widespread to reduce fox density to levels where predation no lo
nger threatens the survival or recovery of malleefowl populations.