MIDCOAST Council and Hunter Local Land Services have hailed a wild dog and fox control campaign in the Darawakh area a success with four wild dogs and one fox caught.
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According to a council spokeswoman, a further 11 baits were taken – all by foxes.
"The program took a proactive approach to feral pest animal management, contracting Dog Trapper, Kevin Ford, who worked alongside Council staff. It involved the use of leg-hold traps and 1080 baiting in locations between Tuncurry Landfill and Black Head" the council's Environmental Officer (Great Lakes), Peter Goonan said.
The trapping component caught four wild dogs and one fox and a further eleven baits were taken, all by foxes.
"To remove as many as four Wild Dogs and 12 foxes is a great result. This work should significantly reduce the pressure on native wildlife and domestic stock in the northern Darawakh area from these feral pest animals" said Mr Goonan.
There have been recent losses of stock and even family pets as a result of wild dog attacks in the Failford and Possum Brush area, and Mr Goonan is hopeful that some of the dogs responsible have now been caught.
Mat Bell, the council's Senior Ecologist (Great Lakes) said, "the result is a credit to the skills of the contract trapper employed on the program. MidCoast Council also wishes to thank Hunter Local Land Services for their funding contribution and technical assistance to this program".
Prior to undertaking the work, local landholders were surveyed in regards to their observations and opinions of feral pest animals. Wild Dogs and Foxes were identified as the highest priority for control.
"The results of this control effort suggest that the Darawakh area is a priority control area for feral pest animals. We intend to consolidate the outcomes of this work with follow-up controls on at least an annual basis in the future" Mat Bell said.