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CC BY-NC-ND V4.0, Open Access
Journal article
Predator management with a single bait? Use of Eradicat for the simultaneous management of feral cats, red foxes, and wild dogs
Pacific conservation biology, Vol.31(3), 25020
2025
Abstract
Context
In Western Australia, there are three invasive predators that require management for agriculture and biodiversity protection, feral cats, wild dogs, and red foxes. These three predators often coexist in the same locality, suggesting potential efficacy gains can be made via simultaneous control. While Western Australian native species have evolved a high tolerance to poison baiting (1080), invasive predators have not. Therefore, landscape-scale baiting is commonly used for predator management.
Aims
Eradicat baits designed for feral cat control have also been known to be consumed and control wild dogs and foxes. In this trial, we aimed to evaluate Eradicat as an all-predator bait, determine if there is a preferential time for the use of the bait and assess non-target impact(s) of baiting.
Methods
We aimed to control all three predators on an agricultural property adjacent to a conservation reserve over 16 months with eight baiting events using Eradicat as an all-predator bait. Twenty one Reconyx camera traps monitored some of the baits deployed.
Key results
A total of 300 baits had a known outcome with minimal uptake by all three predators. Many issues were encountered when working on a smaller-scale including interference with farming activities and management, flash flooding, and non-target uptake of the Eradicat baits. Wetter than anticipated environmental conditions likely increased alternate prey availability, negatively impacting bait uptake.
Conclusions
More work is required to determine if Eradicat baits can be used as an all-predator bait.
Details
- Title
- Predator management with a single bait? Use of Eradicat for the simultaneous management of feral cats, red foxes, and wild dogs
- Authors/Creators
- Tracey L. Kreplins - Dept Primary Ind & Reg Dev, 75 York Rd, Northam, WA 6401, AustraliaDavid Algar - Dept Biodivers Conservat & Attract, Locked Bag 104, Bentley, WA 6983, Australia
- Publication Details
- Pacific conservation biology, Vol.31(3), 25020
- Publisher
- CSIRO Publishing
- Number of pages
- 7
- Grant note
- Western Australian Wild Dog Action Plan 2016-2021
- Identifiers
- 991005787981607891
- Copyright
- © 2025 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)).
- Murdoch Affiliation
- Centre for Terrestrial Ecosystem Science and Sustainability
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article
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