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Wild Dog Control Victoria
Descend from domestic dogs brought by European settlers from 1788 onwards. These dogs escaped, were abandoned, or deliberately released, leading to the formation of feral populations. Significant interbreeding between domestic dogs and dingoes has occurred across much of mainland Australia, resulting in a large proportion of "wild dogs" being hybrids.
Estimates typically range from $64 million to $111 million annually in lost production and control costs to the Australian economy and agricultural sector.
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Control Methods
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Soft jaw Leg-hold trapping
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Ground shooting with rimfire and centrefire rifles Thermal / Nightvision
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Economic & Enviromental impacts
Economic impacts
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Estimates typically range from $64 million to $111 million annually in lost production and control costs to the Australian economy and agricultural sector. Some regional studies have put the cost even higher for specific areas, for instance, up to $67 million in Queensland alone in past years.
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Lambs and Sheep attacks are a major issue, often leading to mauling and killing of multiple animals in a single attack (surplus killing). In areas severely affected by wild dogs, producers are often forced to shift away from sheep and goat production towards cattle, impacting regional economies through reduced employment and business opportunities.
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Predation on calves can also lead to significant losses for cattle producers.
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Commercial Feral goat enterprises in managed systems are also vulnerable.
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Enviromental impacts
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Feral dogs are opportunistic and highly effective predators. They prey on a wide variety of native fauna.
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Many small to medium-sized ground-dwelling mammals (the "critical weight range" species from 35g to 5.5kg) are particularly vulnerable. This includes bandicoots, wallabies, possums, koalas (especially those forced to spend time on the ground), numbats, and bilbies. They have been implicated in the decline and local extinction of numerous native mammal species.
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Eggs, chicks, and adult ground-nesting birds are highly susceptible to predation.
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Feral dogs can spread diseases and parasites (such as hydatids and sarcoptic mange) to native wildlife, impacting their health, lifespan, and reproductive fitness.
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The extensive interbreeding between domestic dogs and dingoes threatens the genetic integrity of pure dingo populations. This "dingo dilution" is a significant concern for the long-term conservation of dingoes, which are culturally important to some Indigenous communities and viewed by some as Australia's native top predator.
