FRESH evidence foxes are living in the North-West has been found.
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One scat collected during the Department of Environment's "great poo hunt" has tested positive for fox DNA.
The confirmed fox scat was picked up east of Forth, two kilometres south of Lillico Beach where a fox carcass was found in 2006.
Craig Williams, of the Fox Eradication Program, said the scat was found in "core fox habitat".
"That's still showing a low-density fox colony," he said.
But critics of the Fox Eradication Program have dismissed the find.
Veterinarian David Obendorf said one fox scat did not prove the existence of foxes in the state, much less a colony.
"Unless you can demonstrate habitation in a certain area that will always be questionable evidence," Dr Obendorf said.
If foxes were living in the area, there would be multiple scats, he said.
The scat was collected in March but was only confirmed as fox product by the University of Canberra's Institute for Applied Ecology this week.
More than 1000 samples were collected during the scat collection survey in the first half of the year, which covered Devonport, Burnie, Wynyard, Deloraine, Meander and Sheffield.
About 400 are still to be tested.
Mr Williams said the university was only able to test 50 samples a day, causing the delay between collection and identification.
He said a baiting program for the North-West was due to start early next year.
"So there most likely will not be a local response."
It is the 57th fox scat to be found in Tasmania since 1998, after six were found in the North-East in 2008 and 12 in central and Southern Tasmania in 2009.