Councils across Sydney have successfully reduced the number of urban foxes in the past 12 months as part of a coordinated pest control program.

The project was launched in July last year by 15 councils in inner, eastern and southern Sydney, and the Royal Botanic Gardens, after foxes were identified in New South Wales as major urban pests.

Foxes are the major predator to threatened species such as the green and golden bell frogs, the little tern, and long-nosed bandicoots, which have been recently spotted in the inner-west.

A fox is seen on a monitoring camera in Bankstown. ( Supplied: Rockdale City Council )

Alexandra Vandine, a senior project officer at Rockdale City Council and coordinator of the fox control program, said the councils had had success in reducing fox numbers in the past year.

But she declined to confirm the exact number of foxes that had been euthanased.

"The end game is to reduce the number of foxes in the southern Sydney area, reduce the number of foxes in Australia," Ms Vandine said.

"I don't know if we'll ever get rid of them completely, but we need to reduce their numbers."

Ms Vandine said Sutherland and Bankstown councils were leading the way in euthanasing foxes with techniques such as baiting.

Community awareness leads to increased sightings

It is estimated there are 7,000 foxes in the southern Sydney region, which equates to 10 foxes per square kilometre.

In the past year, the councils have recorded 362 sightings of foxes — an increase from previous data that recorded 100 sightings in three years.

Ms Vandine attributed the high number of reported sightings to increased community awareness about the fox control program, and the launch of a dedicated southern Sydney mapping database called Fox Scan in September.

Community mapping website Fox Scan allows residents to plot sightings of foxes. ( Supplied: Fox Scan )

She said residents were plotting the map when they saw a fox or when their chickens were eaten by foxes, which was a problem in the inner-city region.

The community education website has recorded very high fox numbers in suburbs such as Oatley, Lugarno, Connells Point and Sylvania.

A low to medium number of sightings have been recorded in Arncliffe and Bardwell Park, south-west Sydney around Revesby and East Hills, throughout the inner-west and in eastern suburbs like South Coogee and Tamarama.

Tips to reduce fox problems Don't leave pet food outside overnight

Don't leave pet food outside overnight Use enclosed compost bins

Use enclosed compost bins Keep domestic animals secure at night

Keep domestic animals secure at night Remove fallen fruit around fruit trees

Remove fallen fruit around fruit trees Keep garbage bins covered

Keep garbage bins covered Block entry points to drains

Block entry points to drains Close off access to underneath buildings

Close off access to underneath buildings Use fox-proof enclosures for poultry

Use fox-proof enclosures for poultry Turn off outside lights that might attract insects

Turn off outside lights that might attract insects Reduce weeds that provide food and shelter, such as blackberries www.feralscan.org.au/foxscan

"[Foxes] are everywhere," Ms Vandine said.

"They're in highly dense shopping centres, in our bushland areas. They're happy to walk down the pavement then go through dense bushland."

Foxes are a highly mobile species and have been drawn to urban areas for easy access to food.

The average fox eats 136 kilograms of food each year, according to Ms Vandine.

The species are not native to Australia, and Ms Vandine said she had "no concern" that continued fox control would make the animal an endangered species.

The 15 councils have also partnered with the Royal Botanic Gardens, which is monitoring fox movements and tracking foxes using infrared cameras in certain reserves.