What does the fox say? Too much, according to Imotski's hunters.
"We expected that we'd have an astonishing cull because the Imotski field is ideal for the propagation of pheasants. They had food and water despite the extreme drought, but in the first two days, two hundred of my hunters have killed only 14 pheasants, we don't remember such [an occurrence] for years, and I've heard that our colleagues from LU (Hunting Association) ''Imotski'' also had a very bad catch,'' said Rudolf Šušnjar.
Rudolf has been leading the local hunting association for ten years, he is convinced that the cause of the drastic reduction in the amount of feathered game is owing to the increase in the population of foxes coming from the outskirts of Imotski.
"And how are you supposed to arrange a hunt at those locations when the law prohibits the use of weapons in populated areas!?" an angry Šušnjar asked.
Two times last year, the Ministry of Agriculture organised the oral vaccination of foxes in the wider Imotski area with bait being thrown out of aircraft. Šušnjar confirmed the fact that the vaccination had a great effect and that rabies disease in foxes was practically eradicated, but every medal has two sides, and that is why their population has so drastically increased.
"Taking into account the fact that some of our fellow citizens, without any obstacles, are throwing food into illegal landfills right near the settlement, we shouldn't be surprised at such a rise in the number of foxes. Moreover, the animals didn't have any natural barriers to prevent their descent into the field because there was no water in the inflows of Vrljika, they don't even have any natural enemies because wolves won't attack foxes, the hunts are ineffective, and the result of all of it is this," he noted.
Šušnjar also sent a warning to fellow citizens as chicken, duck and turkey numbers have already taken a hit.
"It's difficult, almost impossible to get rid of them. I appeal to citizens not to use poisonous bait because their hunting dogs, cats, their neighbours, especially children, are at risk. We need to be patient, maybe natural selection will reduce the number of foxes, and I'd recommend that citizens pay more attention to the protection of their domestic poultry,'' stated Šušnjar for Slobodna Dalmacija.
