URGENT SIGNATURES AND EMAILS ARE NEEDED TO STOP SYDNEY SCHOOL FROM USING LETHAL 1080 POISON TO KILL FOXES 

Sydney Fox and Dingo Rescue were recently contacted because HURLSTONE AGRICULTURAL HIGH SCHOOL is planning to use lethal 1080 poison on their school grounds to kill foxes. This poison is not species-specific, it is lethal to humans, cats, dogs, and native wildlife. There is no antidote. 

Email or call the school to let Principle Ms. Mai Ni Pham know that you do not agree with this cruel and dangerous poison being used in URBAN SYDNEY. 

(02) 9829 9222
Main school email: hurlstone-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au
Business Services Manager: paul.dait@det.nsw.edu.au

Read more about 1080 poison and the lives it has taken here: https://www.facebook.com/coalitionagainst1080

Sign our petition: https://chng.it/2bQTPwtD

Hurlstone Agricultural Highschool is in urban Sydney, surrounded by childcare centres, a special education school (Glenfield Park School) and many other schools, playgrounds and parks. This poison is not safe and is often carried by other animals from one location to another. The risk of this poison is too great for our kids, wildlife, pets and community.

1080 POISON IS NOT THE ANSWER. It is not legal in New South Wales to trap and relocate foxes. Foxes live across all Sydney suburbs and have been in Australia for almost 200 years. We need to learn to coexist with them. 

BACKGROUND

An email was sent to the school community earlier today alerting them to the fact that the school would be working with a private contractor to lay poison meat on the school grounds to kill foxes who had been sighted in the area. WE HAVE UNTIL JULY 4th TO STOP THIS. 

We would like to urge the school to consider other humane alternatives to both deter the foxes and co-exist with these animals in compassionate, kind ways.

ABOUT 1080  POISON

- 1080 is lethal and there is no antidote. 
- It takes only 100 milligrams of 1080 to kill an adult and much less to kill a child. 

- 1080 poison is administered in poisoned pieces of meat 

- Poisoned meat is not only eaten by foxes but many other non-target animals such as lizards, snakes, birds, quolls, dingoes, dogs and cats.

- Animals can die of primary poisoning and secondary poisoning from eating the remains of other animals. This secondary baiting can go on for up to 8 months after the poisoned meat is put out. 

- Foxes are known to regurgitate (vomit up) baits which can then be eaten by other species far from the original bait site. 

- Baits and carcasses of baited animals can be moved by birds and other scavengers. Even if you do not agree to put bait on your property you will be affected. 

- Death in some species can take up to two days during which time they will suffer seizures, vomiting, loss of bladder control and extreme distress. 

- Research by Murdoch University found that in some cases 99% of monitored fox baits were taken by creatures other than foxes.

The risk doesn't end at non-human animals. 

- 1080 is highly soluble and can also make its way into rivers and even ground- water. 

- 1080 has the potential to infect milk and meat products. 

- In 2008 the World Health organization described the human adverse health effects for 1080 as vomiting, paresthesias, tremors, seizures, hallucinations, coma, cardiac arrhythmias & cardiac failure and strongly advised against its use. 

Do not let this toxic poison kill our animals and infect our waterways.

WHY WE THINK THERE ARE BETTER SOLUTIONS

Foxes are not going away and we need to find more compassionate ways to live with them.

Red foxes have lived in Sydney since the 1840’s. There are around 120,000 foxes in Sydney, living across both the city and outer suburbs. Foxes are a normal part of urban life and they are here to stay. They also help control rat and rabbit populations.

It is illegal to trap and relocate foxes and even if the foxes were successfully trapped they would have to be euthanized under current NSW legislation.

Foxes are not a threat to humans. They are timid, cautious animals and prefer to come out at night. We do not have rabies in Australia and foxes are not at risk of transmitting diseases to humans.

Foxes live in large family groups and have populations across Sydney. Killing one fox, or even a family of foxes will not create a fox-free area. We know that foxes from neighboring areas will simply expand into the territory and more foxes will breed to compensate and increase the population (in a stable fox family not all females are breeding animals).

 

OTHER OPTIONS FOR HURLSTONE AGRICULTURAL HIGH SCHOOL 

There are proven, quality fox deterrence options that the school could invest in to deter foxes from high traffic areas in the school or areas where they do not want the foxes.

 

1. Secure bins and remove food scraps 

2. Block off the underneath of buildings 

3. Purchase “fox lights” these solar-powered lights are used both in Australia and overseas to emulate a person with a torch and flash in different colors to deter foxes. 

4. Purchase “fox off” sprays and scent-based deterrence sprays. 

Lastly, try we urge the school community to try co-existing with these animals. Foxes have lived in Australia for almost 200 years. As long as European settlers. Native Animals are learning to adapt to their presence and we should too (see the work of researchers Wallach and Wooster from the Centre for Compassionate Conservation). They are not going away. We need to learn to live with them in more compassionate ways.