An unusual call attracted my attention this morning, as it was repeated at regular intervals and was moving around the area. It reminded me of dingoes when they are on the hunt but the call was wrong, then I caught a glimpse of an animal moving across the cleared area beyond the house but not enough to identify for certain.
It moved away and I could still hear it calling from the neighbours property and shortly after I saw it moving directly to our house, at a distance that enabled me to grab the camera.
As it got closer I could see it was a fox trotting along but not taking any notice of a wallaby that was nearby (it took off as soon as it saw the fox). My first shot must have alerted the fox as it propped for a second which gave me a better shot before it took off down through the scrub.
Sightings of foxes are infrequent and usually at night as they are caught in car lights on the district roads. I have seen a few on our property over the years but today was the first time I was able to get a photo.
Foxes were introduced to Australia around 1850 to provide hunting and a taste of "home" but by the 1870s they had gone feral and started decimating Australian wildlife. They are now found throughout Australia with the exception of some of the offshore islands and the tropical north. Shooting, trapping, poisoning are part of the control methods but eradication does not seem a likely prospect.
Hansom animals, but in the countries where they belong.
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