Wild Dog and Fox Monitoring and Control

Koala Beach Estate

2011-2014

Prepared by NRM Unit

March 2013

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Wild Dog and Fox Monitoring and Control at Koala Beach

1.0 Introduction

Fox and wild dog monitoring and control are required threat abatement measures for the

threatened Bush-stone Curlew and Common Planigale at the Koala Beach Estate.

The Koala Beach Estate Common Planigale Plan of Management (2005) states that

appropriate management actions are to be undertaken to control foxes, feral cats and

roaming dogs.

The Koala Beach Estate Bush-stone Curlew survey report (as stated in the Koala Beach

Estate Overall Management Guidelines for the Koala Beach Wildlife and Habitat

Management Committee) required instigation of a control program for foxes and

feral/roaming dogs, with the required action being to implement an annual feral animal

management program, monitor its effectiveness and make adjustments if necessary over

time.

Feral predator control measures are also likely to benefit two other threatened ground

nesting birds recorded as occurring in bushland within the Koala Beach Estate, being the

Black Bittern and Bush Hen.

Numerous other commonly occurring fauna species at Koala Beach are also likely to benefit

from feral predator control measures including frogs, reptiles, waterbirds, bandicoots,

echidnas, swamp wallabies and possums.

This report provides a summary of methods and results for wild dog and fox monitoring and

control for the years 2011 and 2012.

This report then provides a proposal with costings for wild dog and fox monitoring and

control for 2013.

For the purposes of this report, a wild dog is defined as any wild living dog and includes a

dog that has escaped from domestication and returned, partly or wholly, to a wild state or a

dog resulting from the crossbreeding of a dingo and a domestic dog and the descendants of

crossbred progeny.

2.0 Summary of wild dog and fox monitoring and control April 2011 -

February 2013 2.1 January 2011 - December 2011

In April 2011, four sandpad monitoring sites and three camera trapping sites were

established at Koala Beach, with Australian Wildlife and Feral Animal Management (Michael

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Dickinson) engaged to undertake monitoring with the assistance of Council staff and several

Koala Beach residents.

Two sandpad monitoring sites were established on the track from Sugar Glider Drive to

Christies Creek and two sites were established on the circuit track around the stormwater

detention basin at Sugar Glider Drive.

Sandpad monitoring sites - Christies Creek (left) and Sugar Glider (right)

A camera trapping site was established in bushland adjacent to the track from Sugar Glider

Drive to Christies Creek, a site behind Muskheart Circuit bushfire protection zone and a site

at the water reservoir off Bottlebrush Avenue.

Camera trapping site in bushland track behind Muskheart Circuit

Sandpad monitoring undertaken over a period of two weeks confirmed the presence of both

dog and fox at all sites. Camera trapping also confirmed presence of dog and fox.

In May 2011, Australian Wildlife and Feral Animal Management were engaged to commence

control of dogs and foxes. As both dogs and foxes had been recorded, soft jaw trapping was

considered the most appropriate control option, rather than cage trapping. Signage was

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erected to inform any walkers in the vicinity of trapping sites that tracks were closed and

feral animal trapping was being undertaking.

All trapping was undertaken by Michael Dickinson from Australian Wildlife and Feral Animal

Management, an experience and professional trapper, utilising best practice methods, in

accordance with the Standard Operating Procedure DOG001 – Trapping of wild dogs using

padded-jaw traps.

Between May and October 2011, three dogs and two foxes were caught and euthanised as a

consequence of trapping effort. A young female dog was trapped on 8 May 2011 on

Christies Creek, a male dog was trapped on 9 May 2011 in the vicinity of the water reservoir

and another female dog was trapped on 15 September 2011. Camera trapping continued

throughout the period of soft jaw trapping with cameras taken down in December 2011. It

appeared the trapping sites were exhausted and further trapping was not considered

warranted.

Of the three dogs trapped and euthanised, all were DNA sampled. DNA sampling returned a

result of 75% or less dingo for all dogs. Therefore dogs that were trapped during this period

were considered wild dogs, not dingoes or roaming domestic dogs.

Two dogs captured on camera on 25 October 2011 on the track from Sugar Glider on the southern

side of Christies Creek.

Two dogs captured on camera on 23 August 2011 on the track from Sugar Glider on the southern

side of Christies Creek.

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A fox and dog captured on camera in September 2011 on the circuit track around the stormwater

detention pond off Sugar Glider Drive.

Native fauna captured on camera on the circuit track around the stormwater detention pond off

Sugar Glider Drive, an echidna (left) and bandicoot (right)

2.2 January 2012 - February 2013

Up until December 2011, the fox and wild dog monitoring and control program at Koala

Beach involved trapping any dogs and foxes that frequented the area surrounding the Koala

Beach Estate residential area. However, with the removal of these animals, it was

considered highly likely that over time new foxes/dogs would replace trapped foxes/dogs.

Residents of the Koala Beach Estate were still reporting wild dogs, in and around the

urbanised development area. However despite ongoing camera trapping, sightings of dogs

were irregular. Therefore a review of camera trapping sites was undertaken, and new

additional sites proposed in an effort to better understand the movements of feral

predators, particularly wild dogs throughout the Koala Beach bushland estate.

In February 2012, Australian Wildlife and Feral Animal Management were again engaged to

install and monitor motion sensing cameras on tracks in/near bushland areas. Three

cameras were installed at existing monitoring sites at Christies Creek off Sugar Glider Drive,

Bottlebrush Drive and at the water reservoir off Bottlebrush Drive.

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To date, camera trapping at Koala Beach relied on the use of the cameras owned by Michael

Dickinson from Australian Wildlife and Feral Animal Management. However under the Bush

Futures Environmental Trust project there was an opportunity for Council to purchase some

monitoring cameras. Four Scout Guard infrared/motion sensing cameras were purchased in

January 2012 to use for monitoring feral animals.

In April 2012, these additional four cameras were installed at new sites along the northern

side of Christies Creek, to monitor fox and wild dog presence and movements coming into

the Koala Beach bushland estate from cane farms to the west and Round Mountain to the

north.

As this area of land is still under the ownership of the Ray Group, permission was sought

and gained from the Ray Group for camera installation and monitoring.

Camera monitoring from April to July 2012 along the northern side of Christies Creek

identified at least five wild dogs, one with pups. No foxes were recorded. Following the

identification of numerous dogs in an area of high quality koala habitat, it was considered

that soft jaw trapping was warranted. Whilst there is no direct evidence that koalas are a

major food source for wild dogs, this area has seen significant declines in koala activity

levels during bi-annual koala surveys. Additionally, a koala tracking program on the Gold

Coast has shown that wild dogs may be impacting on koalas. Control of wild dogs was

therefore considered warranted to reduce predation pressure on fauna, including potential

predation pressure on koalas.

Two dogs (tan and black & tan) captured travelling along track in koala habitat, north of Christies

Creek. Three further dogs were captured on video.

As camera monitoring had identified dogs using land owned by Ray Group, permission was

sought and gained from the Ray Group for Michael Dickinson to install a trap. Ray Group

agreed to this and agreed to pay for this trapping service.

In mid July and late August 2012, two mail outs were undertaken to landholders along

Round Mountain Road in the vicinity of this area of bushland, informing that trapping for

wild dogs would be undertaken between 6 August and 6 September 2012, and then

extended to 6 October 2012. Formal tracks in the trapping area were closed to public

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access, with all formal entry points to the trapping site clearly signposted. Three traps were

installed along the northern side of Christies Creek where dog activity had been recorded.

Michael Dickinson was again engaged to install and maintain traps and euthanise any

trapped animals. Camera monitoring continued for the duration of the trapping event.

A female dog was trapped and euthanised on the 21 August 2012. Two pups were also

trapped and euthanised as a consequence of trapping effort on the northern side of

Christies Creek.

Of the three dogs trapped and euthanised, one has been DNA sampled. DNA sampling for

the dog sampled returned a result of 65% or less dingo, therefore dogs that have been

trapped to date are considered wild dogs, not dingoes or roaming domestic dogs.

Fox den searches were undertaken by three Council NRM staff on 6 September 2012. Den

searches focussed on the area along Cudgera Creek on the southern extent of the Koala

Beach bushland Estate. No new fox dens were found. Dens that showed signs of recent

activity were monitored by cameras for one month. However no new activity was recorded.

During den searches, numerous dog and/or fox tracks were recorded along the western

extent of Cudgera Creek, south of the sportsfield. Australian Wildlife and Feral Animal

Management were engaged to install a motion sensing camera in this location in October

2012. Presence of wild dogs and foxes have been confirmed in this area and this creek line

is considered a thoroughfare for both dog and fox movement. As of March 2013 this camera

and the camera on the track from Sugar Glider on the southern side of Christies Creek are

still in operation.

Over the last year, foxes have been reported by Koala Beach residents on the fire trails/bush

fire protection zones and in bushland behind Bottlebrush Drive, Silveraspen Grove, Melia

Close, Macadamia Drive and at the Arthraxon Reserve.

Over the last year, wild dogs have been reported by Koala Beach residents, opposite the

sportsfield at Koala Beach, in the swamp oak forest southwest of the stormwater detention

basin off Sugar Glider Drive, at Hovea Drive, and in the bushland behind Silveraspen Grove

and Muskheart Circuit.

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3.0 Proposed wild dog and fox monitoring and control – April 2013 to April

2014

3.1. Cross-tenure invasive animal control to protect native fauna and peri-urban dog

research project

In July 2012, Council’s NRM Unit was successful in receiving an Environmental Trust Grant

for invasive species management targeting cane toads, Indian mynas, feral cats, wild dogs

and foxes.

One component of this project was coordination of a collaborative, cross-tenure, feral dog,

fox and feral cat control program that will reduce predation on multiple threatened fauna

species, including the Tweed Coast koala population.

Koala Beach is located at the centre of this project area and will benefit from the

coordinated, cross tenure approach to feral predator management this project aims to

deliver. This project aims to facilitate through the Livestock Health and Pest Authority, a

coordinated 1080 baiting program for fox and wild dog control involving private landholders

with agricultural land and bushland to the south, west and north of Koala Beach and also

Cudgen NR.

Within the Koala Beach bushland estate baiting is not permitted due to distance restrictions

placed on baiting within close proximity to residential areas. Therefore control methods will

be restricted to targeted trapping.

Through this project, TSC NRM staff are also collaborating with Biosecurity Queensland and

Gold Coast City Council, to conduct a large scale monitoring program of wild dogs in peri-

urban areas, to gain a better understanding of their diet, numbers and movements and

responses to control methods. Results of this monitoring program will better inform

planning for feral animal management in this area. Dogs and foxes will be monitored using

camera trapping, sand pad monitoring, scat collection and analysis, trialling of non-toxic

ejectors (to be presented further by Ben Allen of Biosecurity Queensland) and DNA analysis

of any trapped and euthanised dogs. TSC NRM staff will use resources from the

Environmental Trust grant and Biosecurity Queensland will contribute considerable

resources also to jointly undertake this monitoring project.

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3.2 Proposed wild dog and fox monitoring and control actions and costs for April 2013 to

April 2014

In the 2011/2012 financial year $5661 was spent on feral animal management. In the

2012/2013 year to date $4480 has been spent on feral animal management. In addition to

wild dog and fox monitoring and control, feral animal management includes such things as

purchase of cage traps, works to support the fox/dog control program like slashing of tracks,

purchase of den fumigants, cane toad musters, and recently cane toad breeding exclusion

works. Feral animal control measures at Koala Beach over the past few years have been

supported financially by the Bush Futures project with this project paying for a den

fumigator, motion sensing cameras, cane toad muster equipment, and the establishment

and maintenance of three cane toad breeding exclusion areas.

The proposed actions and costs to undertake monitoring, trapping and den management for

2013-2014 are presented below.

ACTION TSC NRM

STAFF

CONTRACTOR

COST

MATERIAL

COST

Purchase 4 Reconyx HC600 HyperFire remote

sensing cameras (plus 4 x SD cards, security

cable and box and rechargeable batteries)

from Outdoor Cameras Australia. To be only

used at the Koala Beach Estate for

monitoring feral animal presence and

activity.

� $3,096.00

(incl GST)

Installation and maintenance (including

downloading and analysing data) of 4 remote

cameras for monitoring wild dog, fox and

feral cat presence and activity.

�

Installation and maintenance of 4 sand pad

sites. Sites to be monitored each quarter

over a period of at least one week. Sand pads

can be used to gain an indication of wild dog,

fox and feral cat density.

� 16 hours @

$100/hr

$1600

Preparation of a strategy for fox den

searches including target search areas,

timing, responsibilities.

3 hours @

$100/hr

$300

Fox den searches commencing in May (4

person days) and targeting areas where fox

dens have been previously recorded or

where suitable denning habitat is found (as

per above strategy).

� 16 hours @

$100/hr

$1600

Fumigation of any active fox dens found. �

In response to presence of wild dogs and

foxes, installation and maintenance of soft

jaw traps and/or cage traps and associated

25 hrs @

$100/hr

$2500

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ACTION TSC NRM

STAFF

CONTRACTOR

COST

MATERIAL

COST

alarms.

Euthanasia of trapped animals in soft jaw

and/or cage traps. 10hrs @

$100/hr

$1000

Preparation and delivery of a report to the

committee on outcomes of the 2013-2014

wild dog and fox control program �

Total Cost $7000 $3,096

Projected trapping costs shown above will be dependent on results of camera and sandpad

monitoring and dog and fox activity levels. It is anticipated the coordinated 1080 baiting

program for fox and wild dog control involving private landholders surrounding Koala Beach

and Cudgen Nature Reserve will reduce the activity levels of dogs and/or foxes at Koala

Beach, and may reduce the need to trap for these pest species at Koala Beach.