The Great Dingo debate.

[Lovey80]

A friend of mine that lived up Rainbow Beach way had a female staffy about 8 months old. She was in her first heat when a male dingo came calling. Chased it across the road into the bush and couldn’t be called back. She came back home several hours later with her white chest drenched in blood. Wouldn’t have thought a young staffy would react like that.

[tunaticer]

Using poisons like 1080 is very inefficient and the dogs do avoid the baits.
Some will die...maybe 10% of the population, 30% will recover having not injested a lethal dose....these survivors are the trainers of pups to avoid future baits.

Good trappers are overall the best strategy if they are given free reign.

Dogs and dingoes soon learn to avoid anything associated with gun shots....you get maybe two chances at a free roaming dog with a rifle until he learns you carry the gun.

Excessive hunting with guns creates a more wary target that will in most cases be almost impossible to shoot.

I have spent many years of vermin control on farms, including dogs and there is no other animal in Australia that learns faster and remembers longer than a dingo / wild dog.

The only other method than trapping that is highly effective is also highly illegal, but it's results are astounding....it does not discriminate what it kills....one lick and it is over before they can walk 20 metres or get airborne. Just as well not many people know of this.

[Dignity]

Using poisons like 1080 is very inefficient and the dogs do avoid the baits.
Some will die...maybe 10% of the population, 30% will recover having not injested a lethal dose....these survivors are the trainers of pups to avoid future baits.

Good trappers are overall the best strategy if they are given free reign.

Dogs and dingoes soon learn to avoid anything associated with gun shots....you get maybe two chances at a free roaming dog with a rifle until he learns you carry the gun.

Excessive hunting with guns creates a more wary target that will in most cases be almost impossible to shoot.

I have spent many years of vermin control on farms, including dogs and there is no other animal in Australia that learns faster and remembers longer than a dingo / wild dog.

The only other method than trapping that is highly effective is also highly illegal, but it's results are astounding....it does not discriminate what it kills....one lick and it is over before they can walk 20 metres or get airborne. Just as well not many people know of this.

Jack, you've probably sent everybody off on a googling exercise

[tunaticer]

Jack, you've probably sent everybody off on a googling exercise

I bet they have, they will not find anything much online though.
It has been removed from all uses now in Australia and most of the world.....it was once a very common commercial compound.
1cc would bait and kills hundreds of animals.

[Lovey80]

Using poisons like 1080 is very inefficient and the dogs do avoid the baits.
Some will die...maybe 10% of the population, 30% will recover having not injested a lethal dose....these survivors are the trainers of pups to avoid future baits.

Good trappers are overall the best strategy if they are given free reign.

Dogs and dingoes soon learn to avoid anything associated with gun shots....you get maybe two chances at a free roaming dog with a rifle until he learns you carry the gun.

Excessive hunting with guns creates a more wary target that will in most cases be almost impossible to shoot.

I have spent many years of vermin control on farms, including dogs and there is no other animal in Australia that learns faster and remembers longer than a dingo / wild dog.

The only other method than trapping that is highly effective is also highly illegal, but it's results are astounding....it does not discriminate what it kills....one lick and it is over before they can walk 20 metres or get airborne. Just as well not many people know of this.

i’d love to know his method too. Widespread use of silencers should be allowed for all hunters. Makes a huge difference especially with .22’s and sub sonic centre fire cartridges. For this reason and even safety purposes. Absolutely no good reason they’re restricted.

[shaungonemad]

i’d love to know his method too. Widespread use of silencers should be allowed for all hunters. Makes a huge difference especially with .22’s and sub sonic centre fire cartridges. For this reason and even safety purposes. Absolutely no good reason they’re restricted.

I’m guessing Strychnine.


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[tunaticer]

I’m guessing Strychnine.


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Dozens of times more potent than Strychnine.

[TheRealPoMo]

Dozens of times more potent than Strychnine.

West End Lager....I used to think XXXX was bad.

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[banshee]

Folodol (spelling)

[Dignity]

Dozens of times more potent than Strychnine.

And strychnine is still legal in some states e.g. WA

[woodchopper]

lucijet. very lethal.

[Lucky_Phill]

Updated thoughts from me and passed onto DES.

Unfortunately, I see the writing on the wall where visitor numbers to K’gari will be limited, partly in view of the Dingo situation, but mostly due to irresponsible driver behaviour and camping behaviour.

We all know the Dingoes on K’gari are not endemic to the island and also Dingoes are not a native animal. Contentious issue, yes, but just because they have been in Australia for about 5,000 years, does not make them native, like Kangaroos, Wombats and Koalas.

An option being discussed in my circles (frequent K’gari campers and visitors ) is to undertake a pro-active Dingo program in light if their “ contentious “ heritage and current problems.

We believe a program that would remove troublesome animals to a mainland zoo and the remaining ones contained within a large protected area on K’gari, aka , Information and interaction centre. Yes, like a zoo, but specifically for Fraser Island Dingoes.

This way the “ island “ dingoes can keep their subjective “ endemic “ status, you can educate the public, charge an admission fee ( or donation system ) , undertake a breeding program that can fulfil mainland zoo quotas, overall create a much safer environment for island visitors and lastly and quite important, give the islands native and truly endemic wildlife a chance to recover and or live in peace.

The Rangers on the island do a great job, but being minders for irresponsible people and Dingo wranglers should not come under their jop description.

It seems to all of us that Government policies are made reactive, rather than pro-active and are forever trying to shut the gate after the horse has bolted. Maybe it is time to round up the herd, shut the gate , protect the encompassing problem and provide sustainable outcomes for all stakeholders that share K'gari

LP

[gunna]

You just need the latest and greatest in dingo detterent methodology

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-09-...acks/104271336

[Lucky_Phill]

Official response from DES

Dear Phill,

Thank you for your email regarding K’gari dingoes.

Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service and Partnerships (QPWS&P) undertakes dingo conservation and risk management on K’gari in accordance with the Fraser Island Dingo Conservation and Risk Management Strategy (the Strategy).
The Strategy aims to ensure the conservation and preservation of a sustainable wild dingo population on K’gari and to minimise the risks associated with dingo/human interactions on the island.

QPWS&P invests significant efforts and resources to communicate messages for safe behaviour around dingoes through strong safety messages communicated by rangers, on signage, in brochures and in online information. Rangers respond to all reported dingo interactions on K’gari. They conduct regular patrols and safety briefings with campers, day tourists, resort management and staff to boost education and awareness of how to keep safe around dingoes. To help negate the risk of negative interactions between humans and dingoes, fencing of townships and temporary camp zone closures are implemented, particularly along the eastern beach. This form of risk intervention attempts to modify dingo behaviour by giving them fewer opportunities to interact with humans to help support a healthy, wild dingo population. To prevent people feeding and approaching dingoes, on the spot fines for intentionally feeding or disturbing dingoes have been increased to a maximum $2,580 per offence, and for court-imposed penalties a maximum $26,614 per offence.

Independent studies demonstrate that the population of dingoes across the island fluctuates from around 100-200 animals, depending on seasonal conditions and the breeding cycle. These population numbers have remained steady over many years and are constrained by the ecological carrying capacity of the island. Research also indicates that there is abundant and varied natural food sources available to dingoes on K’gari.

QPWS&P takes its management obligations regarding safety of park visitors and the protection of the natural and cultural values of K’gari very seriously. To ensure consistent, effective and transparent efforts in achieving dingo management and conservation obligations QPWS&P is guided by the Strategy. Any decision to humanely euthanise a high-risk, sick or injured dingo is selective, precise and only considered as a last resort, in consultation with the Butchulla Traditional Owners. A high-risk dingo is one that has been deemed to pose an unacceptable risk to the safety of residents and visitors. More detailed information on the range of issues associated with managing human/dingo interactions on K’gari is available on the Department of Environment and Science (DES) website https://parks.des.qld.gov.au/parks/k...ngo-management.

QPWS&P does not support the relocation of problem dingoes (i.e. animals which due to aggressive behaviour and subsequent risk to the public are identified for humane destruction) to a captive or sanctuary environment for the following reasons:

1. Dingoes are not domestic dogs but are wild animals more closely related to the wolf. As such, once they have been whelped they find it difficult to adapt to a captive situation or become tame to allow them to function humanely in an enclosed environment with close human contact.
2. This is exacerbated in the case of dingoes identified as posing a risk to the public, as they have already learned and demonstrated aggressive behaviour towards people.
3. This has been demonstrated in a trial conducted at David Fleay Wildlife Park, which received three dingoes from K’gari in 1993. These dingoes were already more than 6 months old and had demonstrated aggressive behaviour towards humans. After one dingo died early on from a tick bite the remaining two animals displayed significant signs of stress at being held captive and continued to be aggressive towards their keepers despite all efforts to habituate them to captivity. The dingoes were eventually euthanised after concerns were raised about their welfare under these conditions.
4. Research both on the island and elsewhere in Australia has demonstrated that wild dingoes have large territories and travel large distances as part of their natural behaviour. Keeping them in captivity, no matter how large the enclosure, reduces the ability for the dingo to display this natural behaviour and can significantly compromise their welfare.
5. Scientific research has indicated that the population of dingoes on Fraser Island is stable, sustainable and not in any significant risk of extinction. At this stage there is therefore no requirement to establish a captive population of these animals to preserve genetic viability or create an assurance population.

Please be assured that while some situations on K’gari may require an immediate reactive response, a great deal of proactive work is involved in the management of the K’gari dingo population and we are continually striving to improve our management techniques to support the conservation of this species and to ensure human safety.

Please let me know if you require any further information.

Kind regards,
Sam


other details withdrawn, but Sam is the Senior program manager