A STUDY of long-necked turtles in Lake Joondalup has revealed the threat the species faces from foxes.
The study was held by Dr Jacqueline Giles for the Friends of Yellagonga with funding from the Department of Environment and Conservation and the City of Joondalup.
Dr Giles said while the turtles in the lake were healthy, there were fewer than she expected to find.
“In particular, the number of juveniles I found was quite low,” she said.
Dr Giles said this was probably a result of foxes eating turtle eggs.
“I think there needs to be a co-ordinated effort by the DEC and all local governments on the Swan Coastal Plain to control the populations of not just foxes but also cats and rabbits,” she said.
Friends of Yellagonga committee member and Joondalup councillor John Chester said as a result of the study, 13 foxes had been trapped around the lake.
“They are caught in padded traps and then euthanased before the contents of their stomachs are examined,” he said.
“This is being funded by the cities of Joondalup and Wanneroo and the DEC.
It’s very sad to see the foxes being trapped, but with the turtle population being decimated as it is, unfortunately it has to be done.”