A lone fox's reign of terror in Sydney's northern beaches has come to an end, after rangers trapped and shot the predator early on Saturday morning.
It is believed the fox was responsible for killing 26 little penguins on the beaches and scrubland around North Head, nearly Manly, since June 12.
National Parks and Wildlife Service regional manager Peter Hay confirmed a fox had been killed with a single rifle shot at 4am on Saturday.
"For us that was a very good result," he said.
The fox had eluded capture for almost two weeks, and had proved to be uninterested in the dead food rangers had been leaving as bait. Authorities then took a different tack, using a calling device that mimics the sound of an injured rabbit to lure the fox into shooting range.
The carcass has now been taken to Taronga Zoo, where veterinarians will conduct a necropsy to examine the fox's stomach contents and bite pattern.
Close to 40 staff were involved in the operation since the first dead penguin was discovered, including about 28 penguin guards, three rangers working to trap the predator and two shooters. Almost 100 volunteers joined a round-the-clock patrol that spanned much of the headland, including Quarantine station, Collins Beach and Store Beach.
Based on advice from Taronga Zoo, the NPWS believes the one fox was responsible for the fairy penguin massacre. But as a precaution, it will continue the operation until at least Monday, with one shooter on patrol Saturday night and fox traps to be left in the bush for another week.
"It is possible that there could be another fox involved," Mr Hay warned. "We've taken out a significant predator here, but we're just being cautious."
The little penguins that call the coastal heath at North Head home constitute the last remaining colony on the NSW mainland, but their proximity to Manly's urban area has left them vulnerable to attacks from dogs and foxes.
Mr Hay said the carnage of the past fortnight is relatively uncommon. A previous attack in 2009 resulted in 13 penguin deaths, while 20 were killed in 2000, he said.
Local penguin warden Sally Garman said the 26 deaths over the past fortnight were a terrible blow to the local penguin population, but the colony would survive.
"It's devastating but it's not catastrophic to this colony of penguins," she said. "We can save them."
