[Intockatt]

Dingoes, devils may be angels in disguise

By Carolyn Herbert for Science Online
Posted March 27, 2012 18:05:41

Photo: Apex predator: Dingoes could help control introduced pests. (Jim Shrimpton, file photo: AAP)



Reintroducing predators such as dingoes and tasmanian devils into landscapes may help protect Australia's diminishing biodiversity, researchers say.



A new paper to be published in the May edition of Trends in Ecology and Evolution suggests dingoes and tasmanian devils could control invasive species, such as cats and foxes, as well as overabundant herbivores.


"We need to be quite bold and allow predators back into the landscape and see if they can reverse some of the damage we've done," said Dr Euan Ritchie, ecologist at Deakin University in Melbourne and lead author of the paper.


Since European settlement, humans have drastically altered the Australian environment, resulting in one of the highest rates of species loss in the world.


Cats and foxes have wreaked havoc on small wildlife species, while larger natives, such as kangaroos, have multiplied.


Dr Ritchie says the traditional approach to conservation is to manage species in isolation instead of considering the whole ecosystem.


"We are constantly trying to poison foxes to reduce their populations and we are constantly culling kangaroos to keep their numbers low. But the reason why these species are problematic is that there is nothing controlling them," he said.


"In a true wild system, larger predators would control both of these species."
Australia's top dog

Top predators are animals at the apex of the food chain with no natural enemies. They play an important role in nature by keeping populations of other species in check.


Australia currently has one top predator - the dingo.


Dr Ritchie says scientists believe expanding the range of the dingo and the tasmanian devil would reduce the number of introduced pest species, therefore allowing smaller native animals to flourish.


"Where dingo populations are still surviving is where we see a lot of threatened species still managing to survive in the wild, and that's probably because dingoes are controlling cats and foxes," he said.


Although farmers fear bringing back dingoes may harm livestock, scientists argue there are viable solutions.
Guardian animals, such as dogs, alpacas and even donkeys could offer protection against livestock predation.
Dr Ritchie says long-term studies are needed to monitor the effects of top predators in varying habitats.


However, he believes that if properly managed, more dingoes and tasmanian devils in the landscape would help save species and restore a natural balance to our ecosystems.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-03-2...sguise/3915736

[Intockatt]

My only problem with this is that even if it works and these critters are able to control ferals, what then? After the feral population drops, wouldn't native fauna come under threat of predation by these introductions?

[TriamiCaw]

That's not something we're going to have to worry about, there's no way grazier's and farmer's are ever going to allow an increase in large predators.

[Wvq9InTM]

True that graziers concerns would most likely halt the idea of increasing dingo numbers. The devil is more of a scavenger than a predator or at least that's what I thought. In the case of foxes and rabbits say.. when rabbit numbers went down so too did fox numbers. Fox numbers only increase when rabbit numbers do. Similar with say scale or aphids and ladybirds.. Once aphids are all over everything the ladybirds can be seen having orgies everywhere but have to get the problem before the cure is needed.
I'm not sure of what the good professor means by properly managed. I think we'd need a lot more wealthy farmers than we have got to properly manage this.

[NicolasOL]

My only problem with this is that even if it works and these critters are able to control ferals, what then? After the feral population drops, wouldn't native fauna come under threat of predation by these introductions?

The experience quoted in the article is no, that is not the outcome. There remains enough cats and foxes (both quick breeders) to keep the top predators fed without placing pressure on the smaller native animals.

[obegeLype]

Just like the cane toads were to solve the cane beetle problem.

[Buincchotourbss]

Hi to all on the board.
I think the thought is that the dingo is not as an efficient predator as the either the cat or the fox individually or combined. Some of the experience in NW and central WA is that controlling foxes and dingo/dog using 1080 meat baits resulted in a massive increase in cat numbers which were a more efficient predator of native fauna than foxes and dingo/dog combined. They found that Dingos/dogs were preying on the young kittens of feral cats and keeping their numbers down. Also agree that farmers/graziers may protest.

Not so sure about the Devil are they proposing to release them on the mainland there is a reason that they are only found on Tas. and that is probably the presence of the Dingo.

At least the dingo is "native" unlike the Cane Toad.

[Wvq9InTM]

Remember an article that showed cats in a small area, inhabiting eagles nests and having nothing left to eat but each other, keep forgetting to note down where it was, the title and who wrote/compiled it. Fairly sure it was in QLD and the army were called in to shoot the cats.

[Buincchotourbss]

Remembered as a youngster driving with the family and noticing cats (guiet a few seen) siting in crows nests in trees as we were driving along. Concerned me back then asked dad to get out the 22 at one point.

[suilusargaino]

My thoughts are that the dingoes will choose to go for the easy-kill first,
(flightless birds etc.) long before they resort to chasing down a fox or
tackling an armed and dangerous feral cat.
IOW, would it not simply be adding (back) another predator into the mix
to increase pressure on the endangered species they want to protect?

[Peertantyb]

>>My thoughts are that the dingoes will choose to go for the easy-kill first,
(flightless birds etc.) long before they resort to chasing down a fox or
tackling an armed and dangerous feral cat.
IOW, would it not simply be adding (back) another predator into the mix
to increase pressure on the endangered species they want to protect?

[Intockatt]

Came across this item while downloading a few old episodes of Bush Telegraph

Iconic animals - the dingo

By Margot Foster
Thursday, 29 December 2011


The dingo holds an ambiguous place in Australian culture. To some people the dog is a cunning pest. To others, it is part of our natural heritage.



A dingo enjoying a morning stroll on Bulka Station. (Matt Brann)


Brad Purcell, an environmental scientist, says the dingo is a key part of the natural environment.
He argues that dingoes are part of a healthy environment and that understanding them is to everyone's advantage.
Deborah Bird Rose is a anthropologist, historian and founding figure in the ecological humanities.
Her work with Aboriginal people has taught her to values the deep spiritual connection which some Australians share with dingoes
Deborah Bird Rose says that 'dingoes make us human'
Michael Cathcart pays a visit to the Jirrahlinga Dingo Conservation Centre at Chewton in central Victoria where over the past six years it has been transformed to allow the resident dingoes to re-establish their social networks.
And Michael catches up with Northern Territorian, Jim Cotterill, who has decided to move to Alice Springs which means selling his business, the Stuart's Well Roadhouse, and Caravan Park on the Stuart Highway.
The roadhouse is famous around the world because of Jim's pet, Dinkie the singing dingo, who offers up a performance on today's program, which also includes some tinkling of the ivories.
Tony Townsend is a wild dog trapper based in Gladstone in Queensland who howls to attract his quarry.
With wild dogs costing the agricultural industry in Queensland around $66 million a year, Tony runs workshops for landowners to train them in techniques for trapping.

Michael Cathcart talks to Deborah Bird Rose, professor at the Centre for Research on Social Inclusion at Macquarie University and author of 'Dingo Makes Us human' (Cambridge University Press, 2000) and 'Wild Dog Dreaming: love and extinction' (University of Virginia Press, 2011); Brad Purcell, research fellow at the University of Western Sydney, author of 'Dingo' (CSIRO, 2011);Tehree Gordon, wild life campaigner and owner of the Jirrahlinga Dingo Conservation Centre; Tony Townsend, dingo trapper and howler, Gladstone; Jim Cotterill, owner of the Stuart's Well Roadhouse and Caravan Park and owner of Dinkie the singing dingo

The audio is available here (web page) and direct download link is http://mpegmedia.abc.net.au/rn/podca...11229_1105.mp3