Figure 13 - uploaded by Peter John Sabine Fleming
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New wire-netting fences like this one are rarely constructed because of the cost. The fence is 1.8 metres high with the bottom half constructed with rabbit-proof netting and the top with lighter, marsupial-proof netting. A 25 centimetre flap of rabbit-proof netting is either buried or laid flat on the ground to prevent wild dogs, rabbits and macropods from digging under the fence (Source: P. Fleming).
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Managing the Impacts of Dingoes and Other Wild Dogs is the first book to provide a comprehensive review of the history and biology of wild dogs in Australia, the damage they cause, and community attitudes to their management. Australia's wild dogs include dingoes, introduced around 4000 years ago, feral domestic dogs and hybrids between the two. Th...
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Gray wolves are capable of adapting to human-dominated landscapes by utilizing domestic prey as a source of food. Livestock depredation by wolves incurs a heavy economic loss to the villagers, resulting in negative attitudes toward the species and leading to increased conservation conflict. We used multi-state occupancy modeling on the interview da...
Citations
... The dingo (Canis dingo [33,34] or Canis familiaris [35,36]-its taxonomy is disputed [37][38][39]), Australia's largest terrestrial carnivore, is one species warranting further investigation into its ecological role. Dingoes have long been controlled due to conflicts with livestock producers [40,41] and are known to prey upon a range of threatened species [42][43][44][45][46][47]. In some cases, they have also compromised conservation efforts [10,48]. ...
Carnivores fulfil important ecological roles in natural systems yet can also jeopardise the persistence of threatened species. Understanding their diet is, therefore, essential for managing populations of carnivores, as well as those of their prey. This study was designed to better understand the diet of an Australian apex predator, the dingo, and determine whether it poses a threat to at-risk small macropods in two floristically different yet geographically close reserves in subtropical Australia. Based on an analysis of 512 scats, dingo diets comprised 34 different prey taxa, of which 50% were common between reserves. Our findings add support to the paradigm that dingoes are opportunistic and generalist predators that prey primarily on abundant mammalian fauna. Their diets in the Border Ranges were dominated by possum species (frequency of occurrence (FOC) = 92.5%), while their diets in Richmond Range were characterised by a high prevalence of pademelon species (FOC = 46.9%). Medium-sized mammals were the most important dietary items in both reserves and across all seasons. The dietary frequency of medium-sized mammals was generally related to their availability (indexed by camera trapping); however, the avoidance of some species with high availability indicates that prey accessibility may also be important in dictating their dietary choices. Other prey categories were supplementary to diets and varied in importance according to seasonal changes in their availability. The diets included two threatened macropods, the red-legged pademelon and black-striped wallaby. Our availability estimates, together with earlier dietary studies spanning 30 years, suggest that the red-legged pademelon is resilient to the observed predation. The black-striped wallaby occurred in only two dingo scats collected from Richmond Range and was not detected by cameras so the threat to this species could not be determined. Two locally abundant but highly threatened species (the koala and long-nosed potoroo) were not detected in the dingoes’ diets, suggesting dingoes do not at present pose a threat to these populations. Our study highlights the importance of site-based assessments, population monitoring and including data on prey availability in dietary investigations.
... The foraging behaviours and interactions between these predators are of great ecological and economic significance due to their heavily debated impacts on vulnerable native mammal populations and farming practices (Moseby et al. 2012;Cooke and Soriguer 2017). The dingo is Australia's largest terrestrial predator and has coexisted with extant native prey species since its arrival on the continent ~ 5000 years ago (Fleming et al. 2001;Savolainen et al. 2004). Since European colonization in 1788, dingoes have been exterminated from much of the mainland Australia because they attack livestock (Fleming et al. 2001;Philip 2021). ...
... The dingo is Australia's largest terrestrial predator and has coexisted with extant native prey species since its arrival on the continent ~ 5000 years ago (Fleming et al. 2001;Savolainen et al. 2004). Since European colonization in 1788, dingoes have been exterminated from much of the mainland Australia because they attack livestock (Fleming et al. 2001;Philip 2021). Along with numerous other placental mammals, Europeans introduced the red fox; an efficient mesopredator considered a significant threat to the long-term survival of many endemic Australian mammals, especially small, desert-dwelling mammals weighing between 50 and 5500 g (Letnic and Dickman 2006;McKenzie et al. 2007)). ...
Unprecedented anthropogenic changes to biodiversity and biogeography demand a greater understanding of the consequences of altered faunal composition for ecosystem functioning. Selective predation has important, yet poorly understood effects on ecosystem stability, and can be strongly influenced by the relative frequencies of different prey types in the environment. Yet, how predators adjust their selection for prey according to their environmental frequency is often overlooked. Here, we assessed frequency dependent selection of prey by dingoes and foxes in the Australian desert, biannually, across a nine-year period (2007–2016). Both predators exhibited potentially destabilizing, negative frequency dependent selection for prey. Foxes persisted to preferentially consume a threatened, native rodent (Notomys fuscus) when it was environmentally scarce. Bolstered by the observation that N.fuscus occurs at low densities in areas where foxes are common, our results suggest that N.fuscus is particularly vulnerable to predation by this predator; possibly because it is naïve and/or lacks adaptations to avoid or escape predation by the relatively recently introduced fox. Dingoes tended to consume reptiles when they were scarce; potentially constituting a conservation concern if selected reptilian taxa are threatened. Foxes avoided, thus were unlikely to control populations of overabundant kangaroos, while both foxes and dingoes showed a preference for, and may therefore control populations of invasive rabbits. The integration of our results into the relative suites of (de)stabilizing influences exerted by dingoes and foxes is important to provide a more dynamic insight into how each predator impacts their naturally fluctuating ecosystems.
... Dingoes are estimated to cost the livestock industry AUD89 million/year in lost productivity; foxes come in second at AUD28 million/year (McLeod 2016). The main methods used in Australia to prevent predation of livestock are lethal control of predators (by trapping, shooting, and poisoning) and exclusion fencing (Fleming et al. 2001;Allen and Fleming 2004;Smith et al. 2021). Various non-lethal methods for predator control are available; among these, LGDs are relatively popular (van Bommel and Johnson 2014) but still not widespread. ...
... Non-lethal control is often labour intensive (van Bommel and Johnson 2014), but lethal control must also be intensive, well-coordinated and applied over large areas on a continuing basis to achieve an effective long-term reduction in predator numbers (Ballard et al. 2020); otherwise, local reductions in predator abundance are quickly reversed by immigration (Saunders et al. 1995;Allen and Gonzalez 1998;Corbett 2001). In addition, there is concern about the impact of lethal control on nontarget animals (Fleming et al. 2001;Glen and Dickman 2003;Glen et al. 2007) and on dingo populations. Dingoes perform an important ecological function as Australia's top predator, and reducing their numbers could negatively affect biodiversity (Johnson et al. 2007;Letnic et al. 2011Letnic et al. , 2012. ...
... This finding supports the description of dingoes as generalist predators (e.g. [19,90,94,161]), although the greater incidence of larger mammal, bird and squamate prey in their diet suggests they are selective where their preferred prey is present. ...
Introduction of the domestic cat and red fox has devastated Australian native fauna. We synthesized Australian diet analyses to identify traits of prey species in cat, fox and dingo diets, which prey were more frequent or distinctive to the diet of each predator, and quantified dietary overlap. Nearly half (45%) of all Australian terrestrial mammal, bird and reptile species occurred in the diets of one or more predators. Cat and dingo diets overlapped least (0.64 ± 0.27, n = 24 location/time points) and cat diet changed little over 55 years of study. Cats were more likely to have eaten birds, reptiles and small mammals than foxes or dingoes. Dingo diet remained constant over 53 years and constituted the largest mammal, bird and reptile prey species, including more macropods/potoroids, wombats, monotremes and bandicoots/bilbies than cats or foxes. Fox diet had greater overlap with both cats (0.79 ± 0.20, n = 37) and dingoes (0.73 ± 0.21, n = 42), fewer distinctive items (plant material, possums/gliders) and significant spatial and temporal heterogeneity over 69 years, suggesting the opportunity for prey switching (especially of mammal prey) to mitigate competition. Our study reinforced concerns about mesopredator impacts upon scarce/threatened species and the need to control foxes and cats for fauna conservation. However, extensive dietary overlap and opportunism, as well as low incidence of mesopredators in dingo diets, precluded resolution of the debate about possible dingo suppression of foxes and cats.
... The dingo is Australia's largest terrestrial predator. While sheep production is incompatible with dingoes (Thomson 1984;Allen & Sparkes 2001;Fleming et al. 2001), the effect of dingoes on cattle enterprises is more complex (Allen 2015;Prowse et al. 2015). The widespread control of dingoes has been synonymous with the spread of sheep grazing throughout agricultural and pastoral regions of Australia. ...
Rangelands worldwide have been subject to broadscale modification, such as widespread predator control, introduction of permanent livestock water and altered vegetation to improve grazing. In Australia, these landscape changes have resulted in kangaroos populations (i.e. large macropods) increasing over the past 200 years. Kangaroos are a key contributor to total grazing pressure and in conjunction with livestock and feral herbivores have been linked to land degradation. We used 22 years of aerial survey data to investigate whether density of three macropod species in the southern rangelands of Western Australia was associated with: (1) land use, including type of livestock, total livestock, density of feral goats, type of land tenure, and kangaroo commercial harvest effort; (2) predator management, including permitted dingo control effort, estimated dingo abundance, and the State Barrier Fence (a dingo exclusion fence); and (3) environmental variables: ruggedness, rainfall, fractional cover, and total standing dry matter. Red kangaroos (Osphranter rufus) were most abundant in flat, open vegetation, on pastoral land, where area permitted for dingo control was high, and numbers were positively associated with antecedent rainfall with a 12‐month delay. Western grey kangaroos (Macropus fuliginosus) were most abundant on flat, agricultural land, but less abundant in areas with high permitted dingo control. Euros (Osphranter robustus) were most abundant in rugged pastoral land with open vegetation, where permitted dingo control was high. While environmental variables are key drivers of landscape productivity and kangaroo populations, anthropogenic factors such as land use and permitted dingo control are strongly associated with kangaroo abundance. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved
... Consequently, intensive effort is spent on suppressing dingo populations in many regions . The most widely used methods to suppress dingo populations are exclusion fencing, poisoning, trapping and shooting (Fleming et al. 2001). Exclusion fences have been particularly effective at reducing dingo populations and work by preventing immigration of dingoes into areas where their populations have been suppressed (Fleming et al. 2001). ...
... The most widely used methods to suppress dingo populations are exclusion fencing, poisoning, trapping and shooting (Fleming et al. 2001). Exclusion fences have been particularly effective at reducing dingo populations and work by preventing immigration of dingoes into areas where their populations have been suppressed (Fleming et al. 2001). The longest of these fences, the dingo barrier fence, is > 5000 km in length (McKnight 1969). ...
Removal of apex predators can have far-reaching effects on the organization and structure of ecosystems. This occurs because apex predators can exert strong suppressive effects on their prey and competitors and perturbation of these interactions can shift the balance of interactions between dyads of species at lower trophic levels and trigger trophic cascades. Dingoes ( Canis dingo ) are Australia’s largest mammalian carnivore. Because they are a pest to livestock producers, dingo populations are suppressed in many regions. Suppression of dingo populations has been linked to a suite of ecosystem changes due to ensuing population irruptions of their prey and competitors. Here, we investigate the impact that the suppression of dingoes has on the diet of wedge-tailed eagles ( Aquila audax ) in Australia’s Strzelecki Desert. Wedge-tailed eagles are generalist predators that readily shift their diet in relation to prey availability. We assessed the abundance of species frequently preyed on by eagles and quantified prey remains at eagle nests located on either side of a dingo-proof fence where dingoes were common and rare, respectively. Wedge-tailed eagles consumed more species where dingoes were rare compared to where dingoes were common. Kangaroos (Macropodidae) and western bearded dragons ( Pogona vitticeps ) were more abundant and were consumed more frequently by eagles where dingoes were rare. Introduced European rabbits ( Oryctolagus cuniculus ) were the prey item most frequently identified at eagle nests. However, rabbits were more abundant and their remains were found at a higher proportion of nests where dingoes were common. Our results provide evidence that shifts in the composition of vertebrate assemblages associated with the presence/absence of dingoes, particularly the irruption of kangaroos, influence the diet of wedge-tailed eagles. More generally, by showing that the presence/absence of dingoes can influence the diet of wedge-tailed eagles, our study highlights how pervasive apex predators’ effects on ecosystems can be.
... Where present, dingoes seem to limit the access of foxes to resources (Fleming et al. 2001). Foxes, in turn, may competitively exclude feral cats from other food resources (Robley et al. 2004). ...
The introduction of European red foxes in Australia in the late mid-nineteenth century has resulted in the spread of this invasive species across the continent. The morphological and functional divergence of this relatively recently introduced population has not been explored to date, yet it may provide unique insights into adaptability of this widespread carnivore to very different environments. Here we used three-dimensional geometric morphometric approaches and dissections to explore differences in mandible form and function between two populations: one from France and the other from Western Australia. Bite force was predicted for Australian foxes using partial least squares (PLS) regression models based on the observed covariation between estimated bite force (from muscle dissections) and mandible form in French foxes. Muscle contributions were estimated based on Euclidean distances between landmarks that provide insights into muscle lever arms. Despite the greater sample size, Australian foxes show reduced variability in mandible shape compared with French foxes. The mandibles of adult French foxes tend to be slightly smaller and they also strongly differ in shape from the Australian foxes in functionally important areas of the mandible such as muscle insertion areas. This is accompanied by significant differences in the predicted bite force, even relative to size, and muscle contribution: the bite of Australian foxes is weaker and they show greater use of their temporalis muscle compared to French foxes. The reduced variability suggests a founder effect or stabilizing selection on a specific morphology, which was supported by statistical tests. The corresponding anatomical traits suggest different functional demands likely due to differences in diet or competition. Future studies investigating the drivers of variation in mandible shape in native and invasive populations, including data from the original source of the Australian introductions, are needed to better understand the observed differences.
... By contrast, prey animals may reduce their activity when night-time illumination is high (e.g., full moon, reduced cloud cover) to decrease predation risk (e.g., Harmsen et al. 2011;Linley et al. 2020). Healthy adult cattle and buffalo are considered too large for dingoes to kill, but calves and weak adults are vulnerable to predation (Thomson 1992;Corbett 1995b;Fleming et al. 2001). Dingoes also prey on feral pigs of all ages in tropical Australia (Corbett 1995a;Fleming et al. 2001;Brook and Kutt 2011). ...
... Healthy adult cattle and buffalo are considered too large for dingoes to kill, but calves and weak adults are vulnerable to predation (Thomson 1992;Corbett 1995b;Fleming et al. 2001). Dingoes also prey on feral pigs of all ages in tropical Australia (Corbett 1995a;Fleming et al. 2001;Brook and Kutt 2011). ...
When exotic species are introduced to new environments, they often have a competitive advantage over native species. In northern Australia, pigs, cattle, and water buffalo have established widespread, feral populations. As ungulates have high water requirements, they typically congregate near waterpoints. We used a fencing experiment to test whether native macropods preferentially visited savanna waterholes where large ungulates were excluded. We also investigated whether water scarcity affected the visitation behaviour and temporal activity patterns of herbivores at waterholes and whether increasing prey aggregation at waterholes increased dingo presence. We found that macropods did not use fenced waterholes preferentially over unfenced ones. Cattle presence at waterholes increased as water became scarce, while macropod and pig presence peaked in the middle of the dry season. Macropod activity declined rapidly at the end of the dry season when cattle activity was greatest, suggesting that macropods may avoid waterholes in areas utilised by cattle when competition for resources is high. Macropods and all ungulates visited waterholes more during a drought year compared to an average rainfall year. Despite increasing prey activity, dingo presence at waterholes did not increase when water became scarce. However, dingo presence increased significantly on moonless nights. Our results suggest that competition between macropods and ungulates may intensify during periods of water scarcity. Climate change and pastoral intensification are likely to increase competition for resources between ungulates and macropods in Australian savannas, potentially threatening macropod populations across the landscape in the future.
Significance statement
In northern Australia, feral populations of pigs, cattle, and water buffalo compete with native wildlife for access to water sources. As interspecific competition favours species with a size advantage, we tested whether kangaroos and wallabies (macropods) preferentially use waterholes where large ungulates (cattle and buffalo) were excluded. We found that macropods avoided waterholes when cattle presence was high but did not preferentially use waterholes where livestock were excluded. When water scarcity peaked during a drought, macropods and all three feral ungulate species visited waterholes more. However, increased prey presence at waterholes during the drought did not correspond with increased predator (dingo) presence. Our study advances the understanding of behavioural interactions between invasive and native species at important shared resources, and how this may affect wildlife conservation in an increasingly unpredictable environment.
... Similar concerns have been raised in Australia with many dingoes, particularly in southeastern Australia, exhibiting genetic, morphological or phenotypic evidence of domestic dog ancestry (Newsome and Corbett 1985;Daniels and Corbett 2003;Jones 2009;Stephens et al. 2015). There is also widespread concern that feral domestic dogs have established in the wild across Australia (Fleming et al. 2001;NSW Threatened Species Scientific Committee 2009). ...
... Before the 2000s a majority of our knowledge about dingo  dog hybridisation was based on assessment of skull morphology and physical appearance (Newsome et al. 1980;Newsome and Corbett 1985;Jones 1990;Corbett 2001;Fleming et al. 2001). A microsatellite DNA test for assessing the ancestry of dingoes was developed in 1999 (Wilton et al. 1999;Wilton 2001) and has since become widely used by wildlife managers and conservation groups. ...
... The finding that feral dogs have not established populations has implications for the management of wild canids in Australia. Dingoes and stray or roaming domestic dogs can cause serious impacts for livestock graziers (Fleming et al. 2001). Management of feral, stray or roaming domestic dogs should focus on responsible pet ownership including spaying and neutering of pet animals, keeping pet and working dogs under control and confined during the night. ...
Hybridisation between wild and domestic canids is a global conservation and management issue. In Australia, dingoes are a distinct lineage of wild-living canid with a controversial domestication status. They are mainland Australia’s apex terrestrial predator. There is ongoing concern that the identity of dingoes has been threatened from breeding with domestic dogs, and that feral dogs have established populations in rural Australia. We collate the results of microsatellite DNA testing from 5039 wild canids to explore patterns of domestic dog ancestry in dingoes and observations of feral domestic dogs across the continent. Only 31 feral dogs were detected, challenging the perception that feral dogs are widespread in Australia. First generation dingo × dog hybrids were similarly rare, with only 27 individuals identified. Spatial patterns of genetic ancestry across Australia identified that dingo populations in northern, western and central Australia were largely free from domestic dog introgression. Our findings challenge the perception that dingoes are virtually extinct in the wild and that feral dogs are common. A shift in terminology from wild dog to dingo would better reflect the identity of these wild canids and allow more nuanced debate about the balance between conservation and management of dingoes in Australia.
... Hence, further extended studies in both spatial and temporal scale to capture the population dynamics of this species across the ecosystem of Java are necessary. At least, the indices of abundance of dhole's population in the remaining habitat are needed to monitor the impact management programs or the change of environmental conditions on the population [66]. ...
The success of conservation and management of endangered species is highly dependent on the manager's understanding on the biology and ecology of the target species. However, most wildlife management and conservation activities in developing countries are not based on scientific data, but more on the political agenda and intuition of managers. As a result, the impact of conservation and management efforts was far from what was expected and sometimes even caused new problems to arise (e.g., the rapid population decline of certain species, introduction of alien invasive species etc.). Wildlife legal status is also important to protect a certain species from exploitation and to ensure the fairness by regulating social conduct and enforcing policy associated with wildlife management and conservation, and, therefore, it has play an important role in achieving management goal. We attempt to review the management and conservation of dholes (Cuon alpinus) at the human-dominated landscape through ecological and legal approach. Our finding showed that an approach which was mostly used along the history of dhole’s management was lethal control due to livestock depredation. This approach has resulted dramatic decline of dhole’s population and explosion of wild ungulates population. In Indonesia, the government regulation to conserve this species is already exists, but lack of implementation due to management limitations. The absence and lack of baseline data for dhole’s conservation are common phenomenon since this species has not listed as a priority species. To ensure the long-term survival of this species, suitable conservation strategy supported by good scientific data and regulations related to dhole’s conservation is absolutely needed. Gathering scientific data related to the dhole’s conservation by the multidisciplinary team will benefit to the management in resolving the problem arises during the management process. The availability of adequate ecological data will also be useful for increasing public understanding in the importance of dhole conservation and attracting public sympathy, thus they become more tolerant to the existence of this species.
Keywords: Cuon alpinus, Conservation, Ecology, Java, Legal status, Management.
