by Carla Caruso

Fox sightings have been on the increase in Adelaide’s inner suburbs in recent weeks, according to local media reports.

However, the reverse appears to be true in the Adelaide Park Lands

A City of Adelaide ranger told us: “There is a very small fox population in the Park Lands, which we monitor and believe to be decreasing.

“Evidence points to them eating food scraps, ducks, other birds, and possums and probably insects, lizards, rats and mice.

“If someone should see a fox in the Park Lands, they can leave a message for the Park Lands Ranger through the City Council’s Customer Centre: 8203 7203.”

Foxes were first introduced to Australia as far back as the 1870s.

The idea in the Victorian-era was to pursue them for recreational hunting.

They’ve since spread to become one of our major vertebrate pests and have established themselves in the urban areas of nearly all Australia’s major cities.

A fox can live up to eight years in the wild. As opportunistic feeders, their attacks can be devastating as they often kill more animals than required for their immediate food needs.

Landscape SA Hills and Fleurieu (formerly the Adelaide & Mt Lofty Ranges Natural Resources Management Board) says there have been no substantiated cases of foxes attacking people. However, Landscape SA advises:

“Foxes have been known to bite in self-defence if cornered or caught. Never feed foxes as this will encourage them to associate humans with food.”

The best approach to managing foxes, according to Landscape SA is to eliminate or prevent access to easy sources of food and secure daytime shelter.

Conventional control methods, like shooting and poisoning, are not recommended due to the risk to people and pets.

One person who has taken the alternative view and sung the praises of foxes is US author Sara Pennypacker. She celebrates their intelligence in her bestselling, middle-grade novel, Pax.

Photos: Landscape SA Hills & Fleurieu