Reducing Wild Dog Impacts on Livestock Production Industries 4.09

BULLETIN 4.09 Sustainable Harvests 2017 RESEARCH FINDINGS in the School of VETERINARY & LIFE Adult male wild dog moving past a remote SCIENCES sensing camera. TRISH FLEMING1, TRACEY KREPLINS1, CATHERINE BAUDAINS1, MALCOLM KENNEDY2, PETER ADAMS2 & BILL BATEMAN3 Reducing wild dog impacts on livestock production industries ild dogs are a huge problem for shooting and baiting. ‘Doggers’ and dog- WAustralian livestock producers, proof fencing were also considered effective costing farmers an estimated $50 million management options. 89% of respondents annually in livestock losses and for their believe that more action needs to be taken control. Here we describe outcomes of a to manage wild canids, but identify time recent project that has examined aspects and financial constraints as well as a lack of wild dog control in WA. of coordinated community action and incentives as major hurdles to participation. Who controls wild canids? Importantly, landscape-scale control Almost all (96%) the 195 landholders requires coordination and a feedback of who responded to our nation-wide online information to engage participants. ABOVE: Wild dogs, less than one year old, sniffing survey indicated that they had experienced where a dried meat bait once was. negative impacts from wild dogs and/or Can we protect working dogs? conservation estate for feral pig control, foxes. The majority (83%) of respondents 57% of our survey respondents had confirming their bait-aversion responses up had livestock (cattle 63% of responses; working dog(s), and 28% had lost 1–6 to a year from the initial training session. sheep 57%; goats 18%; pigs 4%) and (2.1±1.4) working dogs to baits. 15% loss of livestock was identified as a major of respondents indicated that they had Do wild dogs cross the State Barrier consideration for landholders participating stopped baiting to protect their working Fence at highway grids? dogs from accidental poisoning. We have in control measures, principally via There has been substantial investment been trialling the use of an aversion device in upgrading and extending the 1,170 BELOW: Murdoch University, Department of to train working dogs to avoid taking Primary Industries and Regional Development and km-long State Barrier Fence. Essentially, baits. The self-training device has now Meekatharra Recognised Biosecurity Group staff and it divides the wheatbelt from the pastoral been trialled on 27 dogs that are used in members at a ‘rack day’ were thousands of dried zone in WA, and plays an important role meat baits are made. in minimising the impact of invasive species, such as wild dogs, on agricultural industries. We monitored movement of wild dogs through road gaps in the fence at three main highways, where cattle grids aim to reduce animal movements. We recorded only five incidents of wild dogs using the grids over 18 months monitoring. Pre- and one year post-cattle grid removal monitoring on the Great Northern Highway grid indicated that no wild dog passed through the fence post-grid removal (roadside fencing has been installed). A series of bulletins outlining key research in the School of Veterinary & Life Sciences | 2017 Two predators. Wedge-tailed eagle and a young RIGHT: D10, adult male wild dog, father of at least six puppies in wild dog at a natural water point in the southern 2016, investigated 11 monitored dried meat baits before being rangelands of Western Australia. caught in a wild dog trap. How effective is baiting wild dogs? The proposed Murchison Region Vermin Is it all in the name: ‘Dingo’ or ‘Wild dog’? Cell, at 7.5 million hectares, is larger than Dogs first arrived on the Australian without recognising that the two Tasmania. This bold initiative represents continent approximately 3,500–5,000 common names refer to overlapping the concerted efforts of pastoralists to years ago. The common name categories of free-living dogs. restore their properties to a state where ‘dingo’ is usually reserved for the There is even ambiguity in the they can again run small livestock. One descendants of these naturalised dogs, scientific nomenclature, with of the most common forms of wild dog especially those that are golden or tan many synonyms used for free- control for reducing impacts on livestock in colour. However, dingoes readily living dogs. There is a reasonable production outcomes is the use of toxic hybridise with domestic dogs that amount of disagreement regarding baits. Over almost two years, we have been were introduced with European arrival species (vs. sub-species) status of monitoring bait-take at two properties, to around 200 years ago. The term ‘wild the dingo, coupled with problems identify whether baiting alone can be used dog’ is often used as a broader term associated with the nomenclatural to effectively control wild dog numbers to include ‘pure’ dingoes, free-living rules around issuing sub-specific within the Cell. There have been a number domestic dogs, and their hybrids (who status to domesticated animals1. of studies in the past that have recorded can also have a tan coat). Variation The first dogs to arrive in Australia bait-take by wild dogs, but camera trap in common names leads to confusion must have been brought through technology now allows us to monitor when in dealing with high profile public human agency, and would therefore baits are taken and identify the individuals issues associated with these animals. have been ‘domesticated’ when taking baits. For example, wildlife management they arrived, which suggests Canis practitioners may consider the effects familiaris is an appropriate epithet, The timing of baiting is important of ‘dingoes’ to be positive but the even for ‘dingoes’1. Baits only last a few days on the ground effects of ‘wild dogs’ to be negative, over summer, with 21 % of bait-take attributed to goannas. Only 6% of baits monitored by camera (three out of four for Regions and the Department of Primary were left on the ground. By contrast, were in winter/early spring when non-target Industries and Regional Development baits laid in winter remain on the ground species are less active). Alternating between for an average of 60 days (29% of baits Main Roads Western Australia supported bait types could serve to increase their were left on the ground). Baits exposed to the State Barrier Fence monitoring. n attractiveness to dogs. rainfall, however, are only toxic for a few More information weeks, and longer exposure to the elements Conclusions and recommendations increases the risk of exposing the target Contact Trish Fleming population to sub-lethal poisoning and the Control of wild dogs requires multiple E: [email protected] development of learned bait-avoidance. approaches to increase efficacy and reduce the likelihood of dogs learning to avoid Reference Bait presentation could also make a difference baits. Understanding the behaviour of 1 Jackson and Groves (2015). Taxonomy of to bait-take these animals can serve to improve our Australian mammals. Clayton South, Victoria, CSIRO Publishing. Even where wild dogs come across baits efforts, reducing risk and increasing (325 known occasions were wild dogs productivity for pastoralists. Authors walked past baits), they interacted with, but 1 Murdoch University Acknowledgements did not consume, baits. Despite monitoring 2 Department of Primary Industries and the fate of 530 baits, we only had four This is part of the Boosting Biosecurity Regional Development instances where a wild dog took a bait Defences project, supported by Royalties 3 Curtin University If you are interested in our research and would like to know more, then please contact us on [email protected] Our research bulletins can be downloaded from www.murdoch.edu.au/School-of-Veterinary-and-Life-Sciences/Our-research/Our-Bulletins/ Undergraduate or postgraduate degrees, please see www.murdoch.edu.au/School-of-Veterinary-and-Life-Sciences/Our-courses/ CRICOS Code: 00125J A series of bulletins outlining key research in the School of Veterinary & Life Sciences | 2017.

Load more