The Great Dingo debate.
Cull the Fraser Island Dingo.
The Dingo is Australia's wild dog. It is an ancient breed of domestic dog that was introduced to Australia by Asian seafarers about 4,000 years ago. Its origins have been traced back to early breeds of domestic dogs in South East Asia (Jackson et al. 2017). Domestic dogs are descended from the Grey Wolf (Canis lupus). While recent DNA studies suggest that Dingoes may have been in Australia for longer (Oskarsson et al 2011), the earliest undisputed archaeological finding of the Dingo in Australia has been dated to 3,250 years ago (Balme et al. 2018).
Having been in Australia for around 4,000 years, Dingoes inhabited many parts of mainland Australia but never reached Tasmania. “ Questionable “ . After European colonisation and the growth of pastoral stations, there was a concerted effort to remove Dingoes from farming areas. As a result, Dingoes are mostly absent from many parts of New South Wales, Victoria, the south-eastern third of South Australia and from the southern-most tip of Western Australia.
Dingoes are opportunistic carnivores. Mammals form the main part of their diet especially rabbits, kangaroos, wallabies, wombats, native mice, possums and bandicoots. When native species are scarce they are known to hunt domestic animals and farm livestock. This makes them very unpopular with pastoralists. Failing this, the Dingo will eat reptiles and any food source it can find including insects and birds. Scavenging at night, the Dingo is a solitary hunter, but will form larger packs when hunting bigger game, like small children. The Dingo has been credited as being a factor in the extinction of native animal species, particularly on Queensland’s Fraser Island. There are about 200 Dingoes on Fraser Island as at 2021.
The Dingo Canis lupus dingo is protected in Queensland national parks as a native species, although it is an introduced species, similar to Cane Toads and Rabbits. The Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service has a legal responsibility to conserve these populations in national parks and protected areas, even though the dingo is a declared pest outside of these areas. Having a bet both ways stinks of political interference and pandering to certain lobby groups, to secure preference votes.
The Dingo is classed as native wildlife under this legislation and hence is protected on the national park estate. Elsewhere in Queensland dingoes are a declared (pest) species under the Land Protection (Pest and Stock Route Management) Act 2002. So, it’s a pest in Australia’s legislation, but not on Fraser Island, a World Heritage listed place and National Park.
Fraser Island provides a varied diet, including fish, crabs, reptiles, echidnas, bush-rats, swamp wallabies, goannas and bandicoots. Dingoes also eat insects and small berries, and roam along the beaches looking for marine life or the occasional seabird. Dingoes will enter campsites scavenging for food and have honed their skills at opening eskies, containers and other food storage vessels, hence legislation was introduced for humans to secure or “ dingo proof “ food storage containers. Dingoes will also hunt down fishermen on the beaches catching fish, in the hope for an easy meal, by way of discarded and unguarded fish or bait.
Domestic dogs are not permitted on Fraser Island. The Dingo is a domestic dog, Fact.
Managing the Dingoes on Fraser Island is a multi-million dollar hit to the taxpayers of Queensland and Australia. Dingoes are a real threat to humans, in particular small children and the present management system is to place the emphasis of responsibility for safe guards on humans. A percentage of humans are incapable of understanding the responsibility placed on them and through that are perpetuating the “ Dingo “ problem. The solution to this financial and physical problem is to cull all Dingoes on Fraser Island.
The Dingo is an introduced pest, simple. Cull. After all, the QPWS removed the Brumbies, an introduced species.
Just thought I would post up my feelings at the moment. I have been to Fraser Island that many times, I'm almost a local, even having worked there for a while. The amount of signage, brochures, fences, warnings, grids, gates and more that are put in place for what is an " Introduced species and declared pest " and a domestic animal, is way too much. If we get rid of the pest, we save millions of dollars, save injury and potentially lives and definitely give the native wildlife a chance to re-populate.
FYI, I saw 6 Dingoes this week on Fraser Island, all north of Happy Valley. One was being fed by camping tourists, another was hovering near a fisho at waters edge, the rest walking / stalking.
LP
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Always a tough one when it comes to human & wildlife interaction
Cull or not to cull ....... in reality a cull needs to be a wipe out - 1 Dingo could kill a child
Like going into croc country , there are risks & people need to be mindful of the risks ........ would you let a child go & play in the salt water in NQ - nah , certainly not. Should that not be the case with a place like Fraser?
That Dingo population is along with the alpine dingo - the purest in Australia ..... let em be
Chris
Give a man a fish & he will eat for a day !
Teach him how to fish
& he will sit in a boat - & drink beer all day!
TEAM MOJIKO
You should have a talk with the clown that lives near me he runs the dingo sanctuary at Durong, I believe that they are breed and taken to Fraser.
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Supposedly any troublesome ones get re-homed on the main land but they don’t last too long because they are too quiet and have no fear.
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We were there in April and the local Dingo “Soxy” was around us every night. One local told us that the recent fires had made the Dingoes more aggressive as a lot of their food sources had been wiped out.
The same local told us that “Soxy” wouldn’t attack as it had become domesticated.
The very next morning the same local bought out her bacon and eggs to eat on the beach in her deck chair and low and behold, “Soxy” lunged at her getting incredibly close and if a few of us weren’t there to scare it off I’m not sure of the outcome as she was in her 80’s and not much to her.
She said in 10 years of visiting that had never happened.
I think they are fencing the township of Orchid soon and there are others like Happy Valley that already have that in place for families etc. As for the beach areas, the eastern surf side especially, you wouldn’t let your young kids down there unsupervised anyway would you? I know I wouldn’t regardless of Dingoes as the surf alone can be dangerous.
From a personal point of view, and maybe I’m biased because my kids have all grown up, I don’t want them culled as I feel they’re part of the Fraser experience. Iconic if you like.
All in my humble opinion.
Matilda
Never got the timescale at which a foreign species earns the title "Native". Obviously 40000 years has been accepted and obviously 250 years is not. 4000 years....dunno.... I'd say at the point where the ecosystem has adapted to their presence and the populations are stable. Increases caused by human presence - farming, tourism - require human correction at times. Culling, because without human presence the numbers would self manage.
Rather look over my shoulder for a dingo than a bear tho. Plus there's more dangerous stuff in the water I reckon.
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To summarise my thoughts.
Fact........ Wild Animals ( as the Dingo is described ) in Australia are actually Domestic Animals that live in the wild, ie:- Feral Animals.
Fact.......Feral Animals are a declared pest in Australia under legislation. Land Protection (Pest and Stock Route Management) Act 2002.
Fact..........Fraser Island is a part of Australia.
Fact..........Domestic Animals are not permitted on Fraser Island. The Dingo is a Domestic Animal, albeit, now Feral.
Fact..........The Native ( original ) Animals on Fraser Island have been decimated by the Feral Animal, ie:- Dingo
Despite the hype of tourism the Dingo attracts, despite the fact many millions of dollars are spent educating and protecting tourists ( humans ), despite the fact the Dingo has caused death and injury to humans, despite the fact the Dingo has decimated the native animal population on a World Heritage Area and Australian National Park and the most iconic sand island in the world, it remains a " protected species " by QPWS.
I am yet to have a " pro " reason to allow this pest to exist on Fraser Island. The law says it should not be there, commonsense says it should not be there and more importantly, the native animals of Fraser Island are living in fear of this Feral Animal.
LP
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I find the need to make everywhere perfectly safe for everyone a bit dumb. Especially when you try and apply that to wild/remote areas. You leave your house you are taking a risk, you head out into the bush or the sea or to an island and you are increasing that risk. If you travel to Fraser and don't notice the thousands of Dingo warnings then you are the kind of person they print "HOT" on takeaway coffe cups for. Dingos have been on Fraser longer than holiday makers and don't need to be removed. People just need to take some resposiblity for their own lives and the lives of those they care about.
Sounds like play stupid games get bit kind of a situationOriginally Posted by Ducksnutz
Fact............Typing Fact before your opinion doesn't make it a fact
Matt
Sounds like play stupid games get bit kind of a situation
Fact............Typing Fact before your opinion doesn't make it a fact
Matt
Thanks Matt,
Where I typed fact.... that is a fact.. it is true and backed by the law, ( Act ) peer reviewed stats and educational literature. A fact is not an opinion, it is the truth.
I totally agree with you about taking responsibility for ones self, but I take umbrage at my tax dollars being wasted on signs, fences etc for what is a Declared Pest in Australia.
It is my opinion the Dingo should be culled from Fraser Island, it is a fact they are a Feral Animal and Declared Pest, except under QPWS for Fraser Island. Sort of double standards, one would have to agree.
Your statement about looking out for ones self is admired, but tell that to the Crocodile population of North Queensland. As you know, once a Croc is sighted within a populated area, it is trapped and removed, despite them being there before humans, as you say.
It is a good subject and I thank those that have responded so far. I am still yet to see a " pro " for having Dingoes on Fraser Island.
LP
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A pro is because that is what is required under the Nature Consevation Act 1992. This act trumps the Land Protection Act 2002, as per section six, division 2 of the same act.
Current science says that persecuting the dingo across the whole of Australia is at best a waste of money and at worst, screws with ecology in a major way. By way of comparison, for decades Qld had legislation mandating broadscale land clearing. Science discovered this was a terrible idea and now we have legislation preventing it. My hope is we end up with a similar legislative reversal for the dingo.
Sorry to disagree these aren't fact they are your personal interpretation of the legislation mixed with opinion
The govenement is spending money on lots of dumb things a couple (of hundred) waring signs is the least of my concern
As has since been stated above Dingos in National Parks in Queensland are protected not just Fraser Island. As a grazier I can go and shoot a dingo on my land (and in certain shires still collect a bounty) however I can't follow that same dingo into a NP and shoot it.
The Croc Management plan also only traps crocs when they are a pest in relation to large human populations or places people visit regualrly etc etc
https://environment.des.qld.gov.au/w...nagement_zones
I guess I feel that Fraser shouldn't qualify if this criteria is applied to Dingos. Unfortunately in recent years visitor numbers to Fraser have made it seem like it is just a day at the beach but it shouldn't be seen that way (This is my opinion)
Matt
As mentioned by Matt this isnt true at all...
Complaints about problem crocs are assessed by QPWS on a case by case basis and, in fact, most are not acted on even when landowners or residents fear for their personal safety or pets or livestocks safety due to the proximity of resident crocs to their homes or boatramps or fishing spots...even if it is in towns...
Thats just what happens when you put greenies in charge ....they will side with the animal over humans in many cases..
I have been to this property in the town of Tully Heads and the pond makes a lovely entrance to their Home...My advice was to shoot the crocs on the quiet as QPWS dont give rats arse about the safety of the residents in their own home...
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-07-...ents/100281990
I dont know what the answer is too Dingo's on Fraser but they are the only real predator of Kangaroo's and Wallabies which are in plague proportions in many parts of the mainland ...I like them..its a shame that people do the wrong thing and train them to scrounge....It might nearly be time to start putting visitor caps on Fraser anyway so it doesnt end up destroyed like many other popular spots..
I spent my childhood in your part of the world and my family still live in NQ and have contacts in the "Cassowary Coast" area. The story above from the ABC did a lap of our family chat group and the general consesus was the poeple involved musn't be locals because if they were the croc would be dead and the ABC would have never heard about it.
Matt
Gents, after seeing the stress that years of dingo attacks and mauling of sheep has had on my father and other farmers, I see no sensible reason why legislation would or should be reversed to protect dingos on mainland Australia. The best management is a combination of electrics fences, trail cameras on likely tracks, well placed traps and coordinated 1080 baiting programs across multiple properties.
I see no reason why they shoul roam free on Fraser. Just my opinion.
True, they are a pest the same as Fox's & Pigs
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