Project snapshot: 

Cape Otway invasive predator control

Showcasing invasive predator control in the Otways:

The Otways region in Victoria is known for its dense, fern-filled rainforests and rugged coastlines that provide a striking natural landscape. Located 160 km southwest of Melbourne, this ecologically rich region supports a diverse array of wildlife and plant species. The Otways are an important place for conservation efforts and a popular destination for nature enthusiasts. However, ecological balance in the Otways is threatened by invasive pests including feral cats and foxes which hunt and kill the region’s wildlife.

The Conservation Ecology Centre (CEC) is one of several organisations in the Otways region involved in addressing the impacts of foxes and feral cats. The CEC was founded around 2000 to restore and conserve the unique landscape and native wildlife of the Otways. Their major work has involved habitat restoration, invasive species management, fire ecology research, and threatened species monitoring. Some of these efforts were a part of the broader Australian Government’s Wild Otways Initiative, which aimed to protect threatened species, and manage the threats and risks posed to their habitats.

Cape Otway is home to a variety of striking landscapes including temperate rainforest. Photo: Rexness via Flickr

The CEC employs several innovative approaches to understand and inform control operations for populations of feral cats and foxes, key to maintaining the region’s biodiversity. Methods include GPS tracking of both foxes and cats to determine home range and behaviour, deploying motion-sensor camera grids to monitor native wildlife and identify predator hotspots, and using conservation detection dogs trained to identify feral cat and fox scats for dietary analysis. Work by the CEC has also explored the use of FoxNet, an advanced tool that can simulate how fox populations will respond to different control regimes to help in the design of a control program.

Collaboration is essential to the CEC’s strategy, working with academic institutions such as Melbourne and Deakin University, government agencies like Parks Victoria and the Department of Energy Environment and Climate Action, Corangamite Catchment Management Authority and local groups including Landcare Networks. The centre also explores how predators behave post fire, informing planned burn regimes on how to optimise biodiversity outcomes. Additionally, they engage local communities in responsible pet ownership and habitat restoration efforts, whilst promoting citizen science/management tools such as FeralScan.

A fox stalks through forest in the Otways. Photo: Shylu007 via Wikimedia

The CEC’s comprehensive approach to understanding feral cats and foxes has provided promising results. Their programs have shown drops in the numbers of foxes, and there is evidence of improved conditions for native bird and mammal populations. However, research conducted with the CEC in the Otways has also demonstrated that broadscale fox control conducted since 2017 has led to an increase in feral cat numbers, likely due to the lack of competition. Here feral cat densities are highest in areas where broadscale fox-baiting has occurred for the longest period. Cats also tend to be more active during the day in regions with higher fox populations, suggesting behavioural adaptation to avoid predation and competition. This result emphasises the need for management programs to target both feral cats and foxes to improve the survival of native species such as the long-nosed potoroo and southern brown bandicoot.

The Conservation Ecology Centre’s efforts in the Otways showcase a comprehensive approach to wildlife conservation, bringing together conventional management tools, advanced research, community involvement, and innovative monitoring and modelling techniques to make sure their tactics are on track. Their work not only tackles the current threats posed by feral cats and foxes through direct control measures but also helps the local environment thrive and adapt to change in the long-term and gets the community on board with helping to manage their own patch. Through these actions, the CEC is making significant strides in protecting the unique biodiversity of the Otways. The CEC’s commitment to conservation is supported by a strong network of funders, partners, and community collaborators, making the CEC a key player in the ongoing preservation of the Otways.

Information on this page was obtained from the Conservation Ecology Centre, Threatened Species Recovery Hub, and research papers [1, 2, 3, 4].

This project snapshot initially appeared in the May 2024 issue of the National Feral Cat and Fox Management Coordination Program Newsletter. To subscribe to the newsletter, click here or fill out the form at the bottom of the page.

 Banner photo: Rexness via Flickr.

Other Resources

Click here to find out more about FeralScan a free community-designed website and smartphone app that allows you to record observations and evidence of introduced pest animals (such as foxes and feral cats), the damage they cause (including predation of native wildlife or lambs), and control actions in your local area (such as baiting, trapping and shooting).

The PestSmart Toolkits provide further information about how to plan, manage and improve your feral cat or fox management program.

The CISS Glovebox Guides, Planning Guides and Field Guides are useful pdf or printed booklets for managing pest animals like feral cats and foxes, developing a simple feral cat or fox management plan or undertaking a best practice baiting program.