Introduced foxes, dogs, cats, rats, and other predators kill millions of native animals every year, but what if they were conditioned to associate this prey with food that made them ill?
The tactic employed in this experiment, known as conditioned taste aversion , shows promise as a tool to reduce the predation of vulnerable wildlife, the researchers outline in a paper published in, titled"Landscapes of nausea: Successful conditioned taste aversion in a wild red fox population."
A range of encapsulated nausea-inducing agents can be injected into food sources, such as eggs or animal carcasses, so the predator associates the symptoms with the food odor and not the chemical. Microencapsulation, where the agent particles are minimized, can also be used to hide textures and prevent the capsule from being accidentally broken open during consumption.
Scientists say more research is needed to determine the best chemical and dosage used, whether live prey rather than a carcass are more effective at conditioning aversion in the red fox, and the time between consumption and onset of symptoms. The study was led by the Australian National University in collaboration with the University of South Australia, the University of Tokyo, and James Hutton Institute, UK.Tim Andrewartha et al, Landscapes of nausea: Successful conditioned taste aversion in a wild red fox population,
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