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Cowan MA, Dunlop JA, Gibson LA, Moore HA, Setterfield SA, Nimmo DG. Movement ecology of an endangered mesopredator in a mining landscape. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2024; 12:5. [PMID: 38233871 PMCID: PMC10795371 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-023-00439-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Efficient movement and energy expenditure are vital for animal survival. Human disturbance can alter animal movement due to changes in resource availability and threats. Some animals can exploit anthropogenic disturbances for more efficient movement, while others face restricted or inefficient movement due to fragmentation of high-resource habitats, and risks associated with disturbed habitats. Mining, a major anthropogenic disturbance, removes natural habitats, introduces new landscape features, and alters resource distribution in the landscape. This study investigates the effect of mining on the movement of an endangered mesopredator, the northern quoll (Dasyurus hallucatus). Using GPS collars and accelerometers, we investigate their habitat selection and energy expenditure in an active mining landscape, to determine the effects of this disturbance on northern quolls. METHODS We fit northern quolls with GPS collars and accelerometers during breeding and non-breeding season at an active mine site in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. We investigated broad-scale movement by calculating the movement ranges of quolls using utilisation distributions at the 95% isopleth, and compared habitat types and environmental characteristics within observed movement ranges to the available landscape. We investigated fine-scale movement by quolls with integrated step selection functions, assessing the relative selection strength for each habitat covariate. Finally, we used piecewise structural equation modelling to analyse the influence of each habitat covariate on northern quoll energy expenditure. RESULTS At the broad scale, northern quolls predominantly used rugged, rocky habitats, and used mining habitats in proportion to their availability. However, at the fine scale, habitat use varied between breeding and non-breeding seasons. During the breeding season, quolls notably avoided mining habitats, whereas in the non-breeding season, they frequented mining habitats equally to rocky and riparian habitats, albeit at a higher energetic cost. CONCLUSION Mining impacts northern quolls by fragmenting favoured rocky habitats, increasing energy expenditure, and potentially impacting breeding dispersal. While mining habitats might offer limited resource opportunities in the non-breeding season, conservation efforts during active mining, including the creation of movement corridors and progressive habitat restoration would likely be useful. However, prioritising the preservation of natural rocky and riparian habitats in mining landscapes is vital for northern quoll conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- M A Cowan
- Gulbali Institute, School of Agricultural, Environmental and Veterinary Sciences, Charles Sturt University, 386 Elizabeth Mitchell Drive, Thurgoona, NSW, 2640, Australia.
- School of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia.
| | - J A Dunlop
- Gulbali Institute, School of Agricultural, Environmental and Veterinary Sciences, Charles Sturt University, 386 Elizabeth Mitchell Drive, Thurgoona, NSW, 2640, Australia
- School of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - L A Gibson
- Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, 17 Dick Perry Avenue, Kensington, WA, 6151, Australia
| | - H A Moore
- School of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
- Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, 17 Dick Perry Avenue, Kensington, WA, 6151, Australia
| | - S A Setterfield
- School of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - D G Nimmo
- Gulbali Institute, School of Agricultural, Environmental and Veterinary Sciences, Charles Sturt University, 386 Elizabeth Mitchell Drive, Thurgoona, NSW, 2640, Australia
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Before Azaria: A Historical Perspective on Dingo Attacks. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12121592. [PMID: 35739928 PMCID: PMC9219548 DOI: 10.3390/ani12121592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Revised: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
This paper investigates the origin of the once popular belief in Australian society that wild dingoes do not attack humans. To address this problem, a digital repository of archived newspaper articles and other published texts written between 1788 and 1979 were searched for references to dingoes attacking non-Indigenous people. A total of 52 accounts spanning the period between 1804 and 1928 was identified. A comparison of these historical accounts with the details of modern dingo attacks suggests that at least some of the former are credible. The paper also examined commonly held attitudes towards dingoes in past Australian society based on historical print media articles and other records. Early chroniclers of Australian rural life and culture maintained that dingoes occasionally killed and ate humans out of a predatory motivation. By the early decades of the 20th century, however, an opposing view of this species had emerged: namely, that dingoes were timid animals that continued to pose a danger to livestock, but never to people. This change in the cultural image of dingoes can possibly be linked to more than a century of lethal dingo control efforts greatly reducing the frequency of human–dingo interactions in the most populous parts of the country. This intensive culling may also have expunged the wild genetic pool of dingoes that exhibited bold behaviour around people and/or created a dingo population that was largely wary of humans.
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Smith LM, Quinnell R, Munteanu A, Hartmann S, Dalla Villa P, Collins L. Attitudes towards free-roaming dogs and dog ownership practices in Bulgaria, Italy, and Ukraine. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0252368. [PMID: 35235582 PMCID: PMC8890656 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0252368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Free-roaming dog population management is conducted to mitigate risks to public health, livestock losses, wildlife conservation, and dog health and welfare. This study aimed to determine attitudes towards free-roaming dogs and their management and describe dog ownership practices in three European countries. We distributed an online questionnaire comprising questions relating to dog ownership practices and attitudes towards free-roaming dogs using social media. We used logistic regression and ordinal probit models to determine associations between demographic and other factors with ownership practices and attitudes towards free-roaming dogs. This study found that most surveyed respondents wanted to see a reduction in free-roaming dog numbers, and felt that this should be achieved through sheltering, catch-neuter-release, and by controlling owned dog breeding. We identified significant associations between both attitudes and ownership practices with gender, religious beliefs, age, education level, reason for dog ownership, previous experience with free-roaming dogs, and country of residence. Respondents who identified as: (i) male, (ii) holding religious beliefs, (iii) owning dogs for practical reasons, (iv) being young, or (v) having no schooling or primary education had a lower probability of neutering and a higher probability of allowing dogs to roam. Respondents who identified as: (i) female, (ii) feeling threatened by free-roaming dogs, (iii) older, or (iv) having more education had a higher probability of answering that increases in free-roaming dog numbers should be prevented. These findings can help to inform future dog population management interventions in these countries. We emphasise the importance of considering local attitudes and dog ownership practices in the development of effective dog population management approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Margaret Smith
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Rupert Quinnell
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - Paolo Dalla Villa
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise “G. Caporale”, Teramo, Italy
- World Organization for Animal Health, OIE Sub-Regional Representation in Brussels, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Lisa Collins
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
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Cairns KM, Crowther MS, Nesbitt B, Letnic M. The myth of wild dogs in Australia: are there any out there? AUSTRALIAN MAMMALOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1071/am20055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
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.
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5
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Gabriele-Rivet V, Brookes VJ, Stephens D, Arsenault J, Ward MP. Hybridisation between dingoes and domestic dogs in proximity to Indigenous communities in northern Australia. Aust Vet J 2021; 99:388-391. [PMID: 34109613 DOI: 10.1111/avj.13095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2021] [Revised: 05/02/2021] [Accepted: 05/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
In northern Australia, wild dog populations potentially interact with domestic dogs from remote communities, which would create opportunities for disease transmission at the wild-domestic interface. An example is rabies, in the event of an incursion into northern Australia. However, the likelihood of such wild-domestic interactions is ambiguous. Hybridisation analyses based on 23 microsatellite DNA markers were performed on canine-origin scats collected in bushland areas around remote Indigenous communities in the Northern Peninsula Area, Queensland. Sufficient DNA was extracted from 6 of 41 scats to assess the percentage of dingo purity. These scats most likely originated from two 'pure' domestic dogs (0% dingo purity), one hybrid (20% dingo purity) and three 'pure' dingoes (92%-98% dingo purity). The two domestic dog samples were collected in the vicinity of communities. The location of two of the dingo-origin samples provides genetic evidence that dingoes are present in areas close to the communities. The availability of anthropogenic food resources likely creates opportunities for interactions with domestic dogs in the region. The hybrid sample demonstrates the occurrence of antecedent contacts between both populations by means of mating and supports the likelihood of a spatio-temporal overlap at the wild-domestic interface. This represents the first genetic survey involving a wild dog population of equatorial northern Queensland, with evidence of dingo purity. Our results have implications for potential disease transmission within a priority area for biosecurity in northern Australia.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Gabriele-Rivet
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney, Werombi Road, Camden, New South Wales, 2570, Australia
| | - V J Brookes
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney, Werombi Road, Camden, New South Wales, 2570, Australia.,School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Science, Charles Sturt University, Boorooma Street, Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, 2678, Australia.,Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation (NSW Department of Primary Industries and Charles Sturt University), Pugsley Place, Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, 2650, Australia
| | - D Stephens
- Zoological Genetics, Blackhill Rd, Inglewood, South Australia, 5133, Australia
| | - J Arsenault
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Université de Montréal, rue Sicotte, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, J2S 2M2, Canada
| | - M P Ward
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney, Werombi Road, Camden, New South Wales, 2570, Australia
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Cairns KM, Newman KD, Crowther MS, Letnic M. Pelage variation in dingoes across southeastern Australia: implications for conservation and management. J Zool (1987) 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- K. M. Cairns
- Centre for Ecosystem Science School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences University of New South Wales Sydney NSW Australia
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences University of New South Wales Sydney NSW Australia
| | - K. D. Newman
- School of Biosciences University of Melbourne Parkville VIC Australia
| | - M. S. Crowther
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Sydney Sydney NSW Australia
| | - M. Letnic
- Centre for Ecosystem Science School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences University of New South Wales Sydney NSW Australia
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences University of New South Wales Sydney NSW Australia
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7
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Tatler J, Prowse TA, Roshier DA, Cairns KM, Cassey P. Phenotypic variation and promiscuity in a wild population of pure dingoes (
Canis dingo
). J ZOOL SYST EVOL RES 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/jzs.12418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jack Tatler
- Centre for Applied Conservation Science and School of Biological Sciences University of Adelaide Adelaide South Australia Australia
| | - Thomas A.A. Prowse
- School of Mathematical Sciences University of Adelaide Adelaide South Australia Australia
| | - David A. Roshier
- Australian Wildlife Conservancy Subiaco East Western Australia Australia
- Centre for Ecosystem Science University of New South Wales Sydney New South Wales Australia
| | - Kylie M. Cairns
- Centre for Ecosystem Science University of New South Wales Sydney New South Wales Australia
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences University of New South Wales Sydney New South Wales Australia
| | - Phillip Cassey
- Centre for Applied Conservation Science and School of Biological Sciences University of Adelaide Adelaide South Australia Australia
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Edwards GP, Eldridge SR, Shakeshaft BJ, Nano T. Lethal control reduces the relative abundance of dingoes but not cattle production impacts. WILDLIFE RESEARCH 2021. [DOI: 10.1071/wr20076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
ContextLethal control through the application of 1080 baits is widely used in Australia to manage the negative impacts of wild dogs (dingoes, wild domestic dogs and their hybrids) on cattle production, but its effectiveness in this regard is not well understood.
AimsTo evaluate the efficacy of once yearly 1080 baiting on dingoes and its effects in mitigating predation and sublethal impacts on beef cattle.
MethodsA replicated experiment with two paired treatments (1080 poisoned and non-poisoned) was conducted on each of four cattle stations of 3782–10850km2, over 2.5 years (2000–02) in the southern Northern Territory. The study was undertaken in relatively good rainfall years.
Key resultsTrack-based surveys indicated that dingo abundance declined on poisoned relative to non-poisoned areas immediately following a single baiting episode. However, there was no detectable difference about 8 months after baiting. No difference was detected in observed levels of calf damage or calf loss between poisoned and non-poisoned areas.
ConclusionsThe results add to the growing body of consistent evidence that contemporary dingo control practices yield little benefit to rangeland beef producers most of the time.
ImplicationsRoutine dingo baiting (as currently undertaken) may be largely unnecessary for beef cattle producers in arid and semiarid areas. Alternative strategies and practices to reduce dingo mauling and predation impacts should be investigated using replicated and controlled field studies.
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Letnic M, Crowther MS. Pesticide use is linked to increased body size in a large mammalian carnivore. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blaa084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Pollution and pesticide use have been linked to evolution of chemical resistance and phenotypic shifts in invertebrates, but less so in vertebrates. Here we provide evidence that poisoning directed towards a mammalian carnivore, the dingo (Canis dingo), is linked to an increase in dingo body mass. We compared the skull length of dingoes, a proxy for size, from three regions where dingo populations were controlled by distributing poisoned meat baits and an unbaited region, before and after the introduction of the toxin sodium fluoroacetate (Compound 1080). Following 1080 introduction, dingo skull length increased in baited regions but not in the unbaited region. We estimate that after 1080 introduction, the skull length of female and male dingoes in baited regions increased by 4.49 and 3.6 mm, respectively. This equates to a 1.02- and 0.86-kg increase in mean body masses of female and male dingoes, respectively. We hypothesize that dingo body size has increased in baited regions due to 1080 selecting for animals with larger body size or because a reduction in dingo abundance in baited areas may have removed constraints on growth imposed by intraspecific competition and prey availability. Our study provides evidence that pesticide use can prompt phenotypic change in comparatively large and long-lived large vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Letnic
- Centre for Ecosystem Science, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - M S Crowther
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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Brookes VJ, Degeling C, van Eeden LM, Ward MP. What Is a Dingo? The Phenotypic Classification of Dingoes by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Residents in Northern Australia. Animals (Basel) 2020; 10:ani10071230. [PMID: 32698324 PMCID: PMC7401616 DOI: 10.3390/ani10071230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Revised: 07/07/2020] [Accepted: 07/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Dingoes are an Australian icon with cultural, as well as ecological, value, yet defining a dingo is complicated by hybridisation with domestic dogs. Northern Australia is a high-risk zone for the arrival of rabies, a disease which affects dogs (including dingoes) and people. In a rabies outbreak, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples who live in this region would want dingoes protected. We visited the Northern Peninsula Area (NPA), Queensland, in 2018–2019 and surveyed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander residents about how they define dingoes, using pictures from camera traps previously placed and operated in the area. We found that dingo definition was based on characteristics traditionally associated with the iconic dingo (medium to large-framed dogs, with a long nose, pointed ears, narrow abdomen, bushy tail, smooth tan coats, and white feet and tail tip) but hybrid features, such as curled tail or a lack of white points, were also acceptable features. Local definitions are important when designing and implementing management plans so that actions are supported by local communities, and our findings are a useful guide for identifying dingoes in the NPA so that, in the event of a rabies outbreak, locally valued dingoes could be identified and protected. Abstract Dingo classification and management is complicated by hybridisation with domestic dogs. Northern Australia is a relatively high-risk zone for a rabies incursion, and in the event of an incursion, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples who reside in this region would prioritise the protection of dingoes. Therefore, the classification of dingoes in this context is important. Twelve pictures of canids with features associated with both dingoes and domestic dogs from camera traps in the Northern Peninsula Area (NPA), northern Queensland, were shown to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander rangers (n = 3), biosecurity officers (n = 2), environmental health workers (n = 2), and residents (n = 39) in the NPA. Nearly all pictures (10/12) were classified as dingo or domestic dog (none as hybrid) and two were inconclusive (no overall agreement). Dingoes were consistently identified as medium to large-framed dogs, with a long nose, pointed ears, narrow abdomen, a bushy or feathered tail, and smooth coats of a single base colour. Some hybrid features were acceptable, including sable coats, lack of white tail tip or feet, and curled tail. These findings are a preliminary guide for identifying canids in the NPA region for whom management might be controversial. Building on this approach via further consultation with residents is needed to inform rabies response policy. Our approach using locally acquired camera trap pictures could also be extended to other regions in which dingoes have value but their management is controversial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria J. Brookes
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney, Camden 2570, Australia;
- School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Science, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga 2650, Australia
- Correspondence:
| | - Chris Degeling
- Australian Centre for Health Engagement, Evidence & Values, School of Health and Society, Faculty of the Arts, Social Sciences, and Humanities, University of Wollongong, Wollongong 2252, Australia;
| | - Lily M. van Eeden
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney, Camperdown 2006, Australia;
| | - Michael P. Ward
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney, Camden 2570, Australia;
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Smith LM, Hartmann S, Munteanu AM, Dalla Villa P, Quinnell RJ, Collins LM. The Effectiveness of Dog Population Management: A Systematic Review. Animals (Basel) 2019; 9:E1020. [PMID: 31766746 PMCID: PMC6940938 DOI: 10.3390/ani9121020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2019] [Revised: 11/15/2019] [Accepted: 11/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The worldwide population of domestic dogs is estimated at approximately 700 million, with around 75% classified as "free-roaming". Where free-roaming dogs exist in high densities, there are significant implications for public health, animal welfare, and wildlife. Approaches to manage dog populations include culling, fertility control, and sheltering. Understanding the effectiveness of each of these interventions is important in guiding future dog population management. We present the results of a systematic review of published studies investigating dog population management, to assess: (1) where and when studies were carried out; (2) what population management methods were used; and (3) what was the effect of the method. We evaluated the reporting quality of the published studies for strength of evidence assessment. The systematic review resulted in a corpus of 39 papers from 15 countries, reporting a wide disparity of approaches and measures of effect. We synthesised the management methods and reported effects. Fertility control was most investigated and had the greatest reported effect on dog population size. Reporting quality was low for power calculations (11%), sample size calculations (11%), and the use of control populations (17%). We provide recommendations for future studies to use common metrics and improve reporting quality, study design, and modelling approaches in order to allow better assessment of the true impact of dog population management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren M. Smith
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK; (L.M.S.); (R.J.Q.)
| | - Sabine Hartmann
- VIER PFOTEN International, 1150 Vienna, Austria; (S.H.); (A.M.M.)
| | | | - Paolo Dalla Villa
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise “G. Caporale”, 64100 Teramo, Italy;
| | - Rupert J. Quinnell
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK; (L.M.S.); (R.J.Q.)
| | - Lisa M. Collins
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK; (L.M.S.); (R.J.Q.)
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Newsome TM, Howden C, Wirsing AJ. Restriction of anthropogenic foods alters a top predator’s diet and intraspecific interactions. J Mammal 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyz125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractAnthropogenic foods are utilized by many animals around the world, and these resources could impact dietary preferences and intra- and interspecific interactions. Under a quasi-Before-After-Control-Impact experimental design, we assessed how dingoes (Canis dingo) responded to a decline in anthropogenic foods in the Tanami Desert, central Australia. We did so by assessing dingo diets close to and away from human influence during a period when food waste was available at two rubbish tips, and then during a period when food waste was restricted at one of the tips. Our results demonstrate that access to anthropogenic foods can alter a top predator’s diet. Namely, dingoes showed a preference for eating the desert mouse (Pseudomys desertor) in areas where food waste was restricted, whereas dingo diets did not reflect ambient prey availability at areas where food waste was constantly available. Reduced availability of food waste also affected interactions between dingoes, with cannibalism decreasing where food waste was removed, and it may have increased consumption of a subordinate mesopredator, the feral cat (Felis catus). By implication, efforts to manage food waste could reestablish or strengthen interactions between predators and their wild prey with possible cascading consequences for ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas M Newsome
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Chris Howden
- Sydney Informatics Hub, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Aaron J Wirsing
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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13
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Campbell G, Coffey A, Miller H, Read JL, Brook A, Fleming PJS, Bird P, Eldridge S, Allen BL. Dingo baiting did not reduce fetal/calf loss in beef cattle in northern South Australia. ANIMAL PRODUCTION SCIENCE 2019. [DOI: 10.1071/an17008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Beef cattle production is the major agricultural pursuit in the arid rangelands of Australia. Dingo predation is often considered a significant threat to production in rangeland beef herds, but there is a need for improved understanding of the effects of dingo baiting on reproductive wastage. We experimentally compared fetal/calf loss on baited and non-baited treatment areas within three northern South Australian beef herds over a 2–4-year period. At re-musters, lactation was used to determine the outcomes of known pregnancies. Potential explanatory factors for fetal/calf loss (dingo baiting, dingo activity, summer heat, cow age, seasonal conditions, activity of dingo prey and selected livestock diseases) were investigated. From 3145 tracked pregnancies, fetal/calf loss averaged 18.6%, with no overall significant effect of baiting. Fetal/calf loss averaged 27.3% for primiparous (first pregnancy) heifers and 16.8% for multiparous (2nd or later calf) cows. On average, dingo-activity indices were 59.3% lower in baited treatments than in controls, although background site differences in habitat, weather and previous dingo control could have contributed to these lower indices. The overall scale and timing of fetal/calf loss was not correlated with dingo activity, time of year, a satellite-derived measure of landscape greenness (normalised difference vegetation index), or activity of alternative dingo prey. Limited blood testing suggested that successful pregnancy outcomes, especially in primiparous heifers, may have been reduced by the livestock diseases pestivirus and leptospirosis. The percentage occurrence of cattle hair in dingo scats was higher when seasonal conditions were poorer and alternative prey less common, but lack of association between fetal/calf loss and normalised difference vegetation index suggests that carrion feeding, rather than calf predation, was the more likely cause. Nevertheless, during the fair to excellent prevailing seasons, there were direct observations of calf predation. It is likely that ground baiting, as applied, was ineffective in protecting calves, or that site effects, variable cow age and disease confounded our results.
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Bombara C, Dürr S, Gongora J, Ward MP. Roaming of dogs in remote Indigenous communities in northern Australia and potential interaction between community and wild dogs. Aust Vet J 2017; 95:182-188. [PMID: 28555947 DOI: 10.1111/avj.12592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2016] [Revised: 07/18/2016] [Accepted: 08/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate the roaming of Indigenous community dogs and potential interaction with wild dogs and dingoes. DESIGN Cross-sectional survey and longitudinal follow-up study. METHODS Six remote Indigenous communities in Cape York Peninsula and Arnhem Land in northern Australia were selected. Hair samples were collected from community dogs and microsatellite DNA analyses were used to determine hybrid (>10% dingo DNA) status. Dogs were fitted with GPS collars and home range (ha) was estimated during monitoring periods of up to 3 days. RESULTS In Cape York Peninsula, 6% of the 35 dogs sampled were dingo hybrids, whereas in Arnhem Land 41% of the 29 dogs sampled were hybrids. The median extended home range was estimated to be 4.54 ha (interquartile range, 3.40 - 7.71). Seven community dogs were identified with an estimated home range > 20 ha and home ranges included the bushland surrounding communities. No significant difference in home ranges was detected between hybrid and non-hybrid dogs. CONCLUSIONS Study results provide some evidence (dingo hybridisation, bushland forays) of the potential interaction between domestic and wild dogs in northern Australia. The nature of this interaction needs further investigation to determine its role in disease transmission; for example, in the case of a rabies incursion in this region.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Bombara
- School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Camden, New South Wales, Australia
| | - S Dürr
- School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Camden, New South Wales, Australia.,Veterinary Public Health Institute, University of Bern, Liebefeld, Switzerland
| | - J Gongora
- School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
| | - M P Ward
- School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Camden, New South Wales, Australia
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15
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16
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Cremona T, Crowther MS, Webb JK. High mortality and small population size prevent population recovery of a reintroduced mesopredator. Anim Conserv 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- T. Cremona
- School of Life Sciences University of Technology Sydney Broadway NSW Australia
- Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods Charles Darwin University Darwin NT Australia
| | - M. S. Crowther
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Sydney Sydney NSW Australia
| | - J. K. Webb
- School of Life Sciences University of Technology Sydney Broadway NSW Australia
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17
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Newsome TM, Fleming PJS, Dickman CR, Doherty TS, Ripple WJ, Ritchie EG, Wirsing AJ. Making a New Dog? Bioscience 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/biosci/bix022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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18
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Smith B, Vague AL. The denning behaviour of dingoes (Canis dingo) living in a human-modified environment. AUSTRALIAN MAMMALOGY 2017. [DOI: 10.1071/am16027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Little is known about reproduction and den site selection by free-ranging dingoes. We present observations of den sites used by dingoes inhabiting a large-scale mining operation located in the Great Sandy Desert, Western Australia. We observed 24 dens concentrated within a 1-km radius. Den sites were generally situated in elevated positions overlooking the surrounding area, were a short distance from food and water resources, required vegetation (particularly spinifex grass) to provide a firm foundation and stable ceiling in the soft sand, and had single den openings that faced away from the rising and daytime sun. Distance to human structures or activity did not appear to influence site selection. Four of the dens were active, containing a total of 37 pups aged between two and four weeks of age. One den contained 18 pups of different ages, indicating that communal denning was also occurring. The high number of breeding females within close proximity suggests that multiple family groups are able to share resources and live in close proximity. Our findings highlight the importance of human-modified areas and abundance of resources in the reproduction and breeding site selection of dingoes.
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19
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Newsome TM, Boitani L, Chapron G, Ciucci P, Dickman CR, Dellinger JA, López‐Bao JV, Peterson RO, Shores CR, Wirsing AJ, Ripple WJ. Food habits of the world's grey wolves. Mamm Rev 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/mam.12067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 117] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas M. Newsome
- Desert Ecology Research Group School of Biological Sciences University of Sydney New South Wales 2006 Australia
- Global Trophic Cascades Program Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society Oregon State University Corvallis Oregon 97331 USA
- Centre for Integrative Ecology School of Life and Environmental Sciences Deakin University Burwood Victoria 3125 Australia
| | - Luigi Boitani
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies “Charles Darwin” Sapienza University of Rome Rome 00185 Italy
| | - Guillaume Chapron
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences SE ‐ 73091 Riddarhyttan Sweden
| | - Paolo Ciucci
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies “Charles Darwin” Sapienza University of Rome Rome 00185 Italy
| | - Christopher R. Dickman
- Desert Ecology Research Group School of Biological Sciences University of Sydney New South Wales 2006 Australia
| | - Justin A. Dellinger
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences University of Washington Seattle Washington 98195 USA
| | - José V. López‐Bao
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences SE ‐ 73091 Riddarhyttan Sweden
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station Research Unit of Biodiversity Oviedo University 33600 Mieres Spain
| | - Rolf O. Peterson
- School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science Michigan Technological University Houghton Michigan 49931 USA
| | - Carolyn R. Shores
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences University of Washington Seattle Washington 98195 USA
| | - Aaron J. Wirsing
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences University of Washington Seattle Washington 98195 USA
| | - William J. Ripple
- Global Trophic Cascades Program Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society Oregon State University Corvallis Oregon 97331 USA
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20
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Parr WCH, Wilson LAB, Wroe S, Colman NJ, Crowther MS, Letnic M. Cranial Shape and the Modularity of Hybridization in Dingoes and Dogs; Hybridization Does Not Spell the End for Native Morphology. Evol Biol 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s11692-016-9371-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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21
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Stephens D, Wilton AN, Fleming PJS, Berry O. Death by sex in an Australian icon: a continent-wide survey reveals extensive hybridization between dingoes and domestic dogs. Mol Ecol 2015; 24:5643-56. [PMID: 26514639 DOI: 10.1111/mec.13416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2014] [Revised: 09/25/2015] [Accepted: 10/05/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Hybridization between domesticated animals and their wild counterparts can disrupt adaptive gene combinations, reduce genetic diversity, extinguish wild populations and change ecosystem function. The dingo is a free-ranging dog that is an iconic apex predator and distributed throughout most of mainland Australia. Dingoes readily hybridize with domestic dogs, and in many Australian jurisdictions, distinct management strategies are dictated by hybrid status. Yet, the magnitude and spatial extent of domestic dog-dingo hybridization is poorly characterized. To address this, we performed a continent-wide analysis of hybridization throughout Australia based on 24 locus microsatellite DNA genotypes from 3637 free-ranging dogs. Although 46% of all free-ranging dogs were classified as pure dingoes, all regions exhibited some hybridization, and the magnitude varied substantially. The southeast of Australia was highly admixed, with 99% of animals being hybrids or feral domestic dogs, whereas only 13% of the animals from remote central Australia were hybrids. Almost all free-ranging dogs had some dingo ancestry, indicating that domestic dogs could have poor survivorship in nonurban Australian environments. Overall, wild pure dingoes remain the dominant predator over most of Australia, but the speed and extent to which hybridization has occurred in the approximately 220 years since the first introduction of domestic dogs indicate that the process may soon threaten the persistence of pure dingoes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle Stephens
- School of Animal Biology and Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre, M092, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, 6009, Australia
| | - Alan N Wilton
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Clive and Vera Ramaciotti Centre for Gene Function Analysis, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, 2052, Australia
| | - Peter J S Fleming
- Vertebrate Pest Research Unit, Biosecurity NSW, NSW Department of Primary Industries, Orange Agricultural Institute, Orange, New South Wales, 2800, Australia.,School of Environmental and Rural Sciences, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales, 2351, Australia
| | - Oliver Berry
- School of Animal Biology and Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre, M092, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, 6009, Australia
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22
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Newsome TM, Ballard GA, Crowther MS, Dellinger JA, Fleming PJS, Glen AS, Greenville AC, Johnson CN, Letnic M, Moseby KE, Nimmo DG, Nelson MP, Read JL, Ripple WJ, Ritchie EG, Shores CR, Wallach AD, Wirsing AJ, Dickman CR. Resolving the value of the dingo in ecological restoration. Restor Ecol 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.12186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas M. Newsome
- Desert Ecology Research Group, School of Biological Sciences; The University of Sydney; New South Wales 2006 Australia
- Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society; Oregon State University; Corvallis OR 97331 U.S.A
| | - Guy-Anthony Ballard
- School of Environmental and Rural Sciences; University of New England; Armidale New South Wales 2351 Australia
- Vertebrate Pest Research Unit, Biosecurity NSW, NSW Department of Primary Industries; University of New England; PO Box U86 Armidale New South Wales 2351 Australia
| | - Mathew S. Crowther
- Desert Ecology Research Group, School of Biological Sciences; The University of Sydney; New South Wales 2006 Australia
| | - Justin A. Dellinger
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences; University of Washington; Seattle WA 98195 U.S.A
| | - Peter J. S. Fleming
- School of Environmental and Rural Sciences; University of New England; Armidale New South Wales 2351 Australia
- Vertebrate Pest Research Unit, Biosecurity NSW; NSW Department of Primary Industries; Locked Bag 6006 Orange New South Wales 2800 Australia
| | | | - Aaron C. Greenville
- Desert Ecology Research Group, School of Biological Sciences; The University of Sydney; New South Wales 2006 Australia
| | - Chris N. Johnson
- School of Biological Sciences; University of Tasmania; Private Bag 55 Hobart Tasmania 7001 Australia
| | - Mike Letnic
- Centre for Ecosystem Science, and School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences; University of New South Wales; Sydney New South Wales 2052 Australia
| | - Katherine E. Moseby
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences; The University of Adelaide; South Australia 5005 Australia
- Arid Recovery; PO Box 147 Roxby Downs South Australia 5725 Australia
| | - Dale G. Nimmo
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences; Deakin University; Melbourne Burwood Campus, 221 Burwood Highway Burwood Victoria 3125 Australia
| | - Michael Paul Nelson
- Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society; Oregon State University; Corvallis OR 97331 U.S.A
| | - John L. Read
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences; The University of Adelaide; South Australia 5005 Australia
- Arid Recovery; PO Box 147 Roxby Downs South Australia 5725 Australia
| | - William J. Ripple
- Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society; Oregon State University; Corvallis OR 97331 U.S.A
| | - Euan G. Ritchie
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences; Deakin University; Melbourne Burwood Campus, 221 Burwood Highway Burwood Victoria 3125 Australia
| | - Carolyn R. Shores
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences; University of Washington; Seattle WA 98195 U.S.A
| | - Arian D. Wallach
- Charles Darwin University; Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods; Darwin Northern Territory 0909 Australia
| | - Aaron J. Wirsing
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences; University of Washington; Seattle WA 98195 U.S.A
| | - Christopher R. Dickman
- Desert Ecology Research Group, School of Biological Sciences; The University of Sydney; New South Wales 2006 Australia
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23
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Newsome TM, Ballard GA, Crowther MS, Fleming PJS, Dickman CR. Dietary niche overlap of free-roaming dingoes and domestic dogs: the role of human-provided food. J Mammal 2014. [DOI: 10.1644/13-mamm-a-145.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
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24
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Human-resource subsidies alter the dietary preferences of a mammalian top predator. Oecologia 2014; 175:139-50. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-014-2889-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2013] [Accepted: 01/16/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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