 A Threat to Phillip Island's Penguins
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Sept. 4, 2003 — Australian rangers are developing a version of the so-called morning-after abortion pill to wipe out foxes threatening the penguin population in one of the country's most popular nature reserves.
Scientists at the Phillip Island Nature Park off Victoria state say that each year foxes kill up to 300 of the park's penguins, whose nightly "parade" from the sea to beachside nests is a world-famous attraction.
Efforts to control the fox population through shooting and gassing of dens have been ineffective and criticized by animal rights activists as cruel, said park biologist Roger Kirkwood.
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As an alternative, he said, research is underway to see if the fox population, currently estimated at about 120, could be eradicated using bait laced with the drug Cabergoline, a compound found in morning-after pills.
Kirkwood told the Australian Associated Press that since foxes only breed in August and September and have a lifespan of just five years, authorities hope the drug plan could eventually eliminate the animals from Phillip Island.
"If they can't breed for five years, that would help to get foxes off the island," he said.
Cabergoline is currently available only in a powdered form and researchers are investigating if it could be reconfigured into a pill or oil that could be placed into bait like cooked liver.
Trials with the drug on foxes in Europe and Australia have proven successful, causing abortions or stillborn cubs, experts said.
Foxes were introduced to Australia by European settlers and have become one of the country's worst pests, causing millions of dollars worth of damage, killing livestock and hastening the extinction of many small native mammals.
In parts of Australia government scientists have already been experimenting with contraceptive vaccines in efforts to control fox numbers.
A similar birth control method is also being developed for the European rabbit, which has devastated vegetation across vast areas and costs the Australian economy more than $600 million ($380 million U.S.) a year in lost agricultural production.
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Name: Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes)
Primary Classification: Canidae (Dogs and Relatives) Location: North America, Europe, Asia, Arctic, North Africa and Australia. Habitat: Areas with diverse vegetation (tundra, forest, prairie, farmland, etc.) Diet: Mostly small mammals. Also insects and fruit. Size: Up to 3 ft in length and 24 lbs in weight. Description: Red, orange or gray fur; bushy, black tail with white tip; large, black ears; black limbs; yellow eyes; sharp, pointed face; light, agile build. Cool Facts: It is the largest species of fox. Unlike most other canines, it is a solitary hunter. It has scent glands in its tail that switch on or off depending on the fox's activity level. Conservation Status: Common |
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