LAMBS MENACED BY FOXES

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28370, 31 August 1957, Page 10

LAMBS MENACED BY FOXES

New South Wales Graziers’ Appeal (From Our Own Correspondent.) SYDNEY. August 22. ' Graziers in the north-west of New South Wales have asked the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation to find a means of destroying foxes, as it destroyed rabbits with myxomatosis, before the lambing season begins. By eradicating rabbits. the] scientists destroyed the fox's staple diet and the t ox is certain] ito turn to newly-born lambs for I its future summer food needs.

• While waiting for the lambing season next month, the foxes, are living on mice and young wild pigs. Many of the foxes are suffering from mange. Foxes are roaming the countryside in thousands. Graziers have shot many on their properties, but they are as numerous as ever. Two brothers shot 150 in a weekend on their property, making a total of 300 in a few weeks.

Mr Frank O'Neill, a grazier of Wee Waa, and'his sister. Jan, in a recent night shoot killed 27 foxes in 40 minutes. They obtained easy targets bv focusing the spotlight nf their car on the foxes. Mr W. Mactier. veterinary in-

Spector of the New South Wales Department of Agriculture in the Moree district, said: Although we are shooting foxes in hundreds. they are swarming all over the place. The roadside is littered with dead foxes knocked down by motor-cars. Graziers are going to lose many lambs in the next few months.

"The Narrabri Pastures Protection Board is paying 2s for every fox scalp, but they are such smelly creatures that nobody is bothering to scalp them. For the same reason, they are not selling fox pelts to the fur trade, which is offering about 2s a skin.*’

Fox. skins are selling in Sydney Cor 2s each; best quality pelts bring only 4,« 3d each, compared with 30s a few years ago.