25-05-2025
Sad story behind viral image of emu toes amid Australia's invasive species crisis
It's common to hear stories of foxes getting into chicken coops and causing mayhem, or a farmer losing the odd lamb to a fox attack. But this incident shows just how lethal the invasive species can be for Aussie homeowners owners.
Jo Caminiti has a property in Central Gippsland in Victoria where she fosters and homes domesticated emus. "They occupy the old orchard here with emu fencing, and they sleep all snuggled down together on the ground," she told Yahoo News.
It's not your typical pet, and nor is it your typical fox victim. But she has shared the "devastating" story of losing a female emu, walking out to the orchard one day to find it killed and its head removed.
"I found her dead a few metres away with her head gone. Of course that's very typical of foxes, they take what they can back to their cubs.
"You could tell what had gone on in the grass that they [the emus] had been surprised at night... there were feathers where they were sleeping.
"It looked like they got up and she hit another tree and fell down ... she tripped over and that's where her body was, with the head removed. There were lots of bite and scratch marks.
"It was all a bit sad …. They'd been raised in a petting zoo in Melbourne originally."
Jo, who holds a basic wildlife licence, shared a photo of her holding the feet of the deceased emu on social media this week in response to another social media post. When the image was re-shared by an Australian wildlife page, it attracted lots of attention.
"If they can bring down such a massive bird imagine what they are doing to the numbers of our smaller more vulnerable natives," Wild Animals Australia wrote.
"There was quite a lot of comments saying it couldn't possibly be a fox... well, you know, good on them," Jo told Yahoo, completely dismissing their skepticism.
While the incident happened a couple years ago, Jo said there is no doubt in her mind that a fox was responsible.
"There are lots of foxes around here," she said Friday. "You see them all the time... I'm just glad I've got a neighbour that has a gun licence and can keep the numbers down."
Feral cats and red foxes have had a devastating impact on Australia's unique ecosystems, contributing significantly to the country's status as having the worst mammal extinction rate in the world.
According to recent research by the Australian National University, there are thought to be some 1.7 million foxes in the country, with populations found on 80 per cent of the continent.
Each year, foxes kill about 300 million native mammals, birds and reptiles.
The species was introduced in the 19th century for recreational hunting, and now prey on native wildlife while also being a disruptive force in the agricultural industry by attacking livestock and poultry. While they're often less numerous than cats, foxes can be just as ecologically destructive in areas where native species haven't evolved defences against such efficient predators.
Their presence is a key reason why efforts to recover threatened species often require large-scale predator control or the creation of fenced sanctuaries to give native wildlife a fighting chance.
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Foxes are increasingly making their way into suburbs and built up metropolitan areas. But there are things you can do to help protect local wildlife and deter foxes, population management specialist Gillian Basnett explained recently to Yahoo.
Her tips include:
Don't leave pet food outside overnight
Use enclosed compost bins
Keep domestic animals secure at night
Remove fallen fruit around fruit trees
Keep garbage bins covered
Block entry points to drains
Close off access to underneath buildings
Use fox-proof enclosures for poultry – remember foxes dig and can climb
Turn off outside lights that might attract insects
Reduce weeds that provide food and shelter, such as Blackberries
Record sightings in FoxScan.
Deterrents need to be intermittent as they will habituate quickly. E.g. sensor spotlights rather than lights on all the time.
Have gardens with lots of plants that wildlife can hide in, grasses, shrubs, rocks, logs, etc.
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