Pest control groups say they have developed a new toxic bait that will make the method of trapping wild dogs and foxes more “welfare positive”.
The feral pests are notorious for their impact on livestock and native species throughout Australia but, until now, there has been a gap in the market for a more humane control measure that involves trapping the animals.
Developed by the Centre for Invasive Species Solutions in collaboration with other pest control groups and government organisations, PAPPutty is a toxic bait that comes in the form of a paste.
Designed to be used in conjunction with leg-hold traps, which holds the leg of the animal, the paste is wrapped in cloth and attached to the jaw of the trap.
The executive director of Risk Assessment Capability at the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority, Sheila Logan, said the paste was a much more “controlled way” of targeting wild dogs and foxes.
“When a dog or a fox is caught in the trap then they tend to lick or chew at the bandage area, which means they consume some of the PAPP poison, which results in them dying,” Dr Logan said.
The trap itself was also humane in how it functioned, she said, by not cutting into the animal after capturing it like some other trap designs.
Dr Logan said the traps could not be put down without obtaining sufficient authority, notifying neighbours, and putting up signage to keep pets safe.
The “lethal trap device” is something National Wild Dog Management coordinator Greg Mifsud said was a positive addition to control measures for wild dogs and foxes.
“It gives landholders another option that they consider to be humane and we know is effective,” he said.
For land managers trying to protect livestock and native species, finding ways to control the populations is often time-consuming and costly.
Mr Mifsud said livestock managers were often dealing with “significant stock loss” from wild dogs and foxes.
“If you have dogs active within your property, then none of the stock you’ve got on the place is safe,” he said.
“[Foxes] are mainly targeting very young lambs and small stock — the control of those is essential in terms of getting your young animals to the next season.
“Dogs, however, will attack, kill, and maim all age groups and age classes of sheep and goats.”
Centre for Invasive Species Solutions chief executive Andreas Glanznig said livestock were not the only victims.
“Foxes impact over 95 threatened [native] species, so foxes in particular have very significant impact on wildlife,” Mr Glanznig said.
“The idea is this isn’t just for farmers, it’s a nature-positive addition as well.”
How it works
PAPPutty comes in the form of a paste that is packaged inside syringes.
Also known as para-aminopropiophenone, the poison works by rendering the animal unconscious and eventually euthanasing it.
Dr Logan said the paste was a “vertebrate bait” that “acts in the blood by changing certain components to reduce how much oxygen the blood can carry”.
“This means the animal can’t get enough oxygen throughout its whole tissues and it has a relatively quick death resulting from that,” she said.
Mr Misfud said it was a step in the right direction when it came to animal welfare, by “making sure the dog [or fox] is euthanased once it gets in the trap as quickly as possible”.
While the toxic bait was a new tool to protect livestock and native species, Mr Misfud said it was not a blanket solution.
“It’s an integrated approach, both in terms of management of both those pest animals and also the inclusion and introduction of different control techniques to keep those populations as low as possible,” he said.
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