Industry & Investment NSW (I&I NSW) today launched the new FoxScan website, giving Australians across the nation the power to participate in citizen science and improve pest animal management.
I&I NSW project officer, Peter West, said FoxScan would deliver benefits to farmers and local communities by giving them the opportunity to record and access data on fox numbers, locations, damage and control activities.
“Foxes annually cause an estimated $227 million in damage to agriculture and the environment - by monitoring and recording fox activity we are better able to manage these pests,” Mr West said.
“Data from FoxScan will be used to help direct valuable resources where they are needed to protect our agricultural industries, environment, natural resources and communities.
“Recent I&I NSW studies have shown that group fox baiting can improve lamb survival by up to 20 per cent and now FoxScan can be used to monitor fox numbers and damage, allowing landholders to better co-ordinate group baiting programs.
“FoxScan uses Google maps with a simple interface, so users can easily record fox sightings, fox damage and fox control information.”
Other features include free downloads, a fox photo gallery and a mapping facility which allows users to print customised maps of relevant areas.
FoxScan and RabbitScan, which was launched this January, are the first two components of a free web-based feral animal mapping tool, FeralScan, which will provide mapping websites for feral camels and pigs, Indian myna birds and wild dogs across Australia.
FeralScan is led by I&I NSW through the Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre with partners including the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences, ABC, Western Catchment Management Authority, Landcare, Ninti One Ltd, Toshiba and Woolworths.
More information is available from FeralScan, http://www.feralscan.org.au
