Dingoes Attacks On Properties In Nsw Central West

[Monah]

Bob Irwin's dingo watch

Anne-Louise Brown | 7th June 2010

Bob Irwin.

THE PLIGHT of the Fraser Island dingo is an emerging priority for Bob Irwin, the renowned conservationist has revealed.

Mr Irwin, father of legendary crocodile hunter Steve, says he is disgusted by the “atrocity” that is the treatment of Fraser Island's dingoes.

He said he could understand why such stringent regulations were in place to limit human contact with the native dogs, but described the laws as “heavy-handed”.

“Nobody should have to walk past an animal that's starving and the Fraser Island dingos are emaciated,” he said.

“I don't like to see any animals disfigured or starving and a solution has to be found.”

Mr Irwin, 70, is recovering from a heart attack last March, an event that prompted him to take stock of his life.

He said his major focus now was promoting environmental conservation and caring for sick and injured wildlife at his home.

For him dingoes are natural scavengers and should be allowed to walk the beaches feeding on fish frames and other waste.

He said feeding stations could be an option but that would only be as a last resort.

“The dingoes didn't create the problem, humans did.

“One thing that also disturbs me is the tagging of the dingoes. It folds their ears over and affects their senses.

“It's a man-made disfigurement.”

He said it was vital the dingoes remained on the island and, if a breeding program was introduced, that it took place there.

“I'm not in favour of animals being removed from their habitat.

“Fraser Island dingoes belong on Fraser Island.”

Mr Irwin was adamant most Australians did not realise how terrible the country's environmental record was.

“We've got to clean up our own back yards before we start telling other countries what is right and wrong,” Bob said.

“I think whaling is abhorrent, but it is very hypocritical for the Australian government to tell the Japanese to stop whaling when in Australia, we support the world's largest wildlife slaughter, the kangaroo industry.

“We need to go back to the earth and start to take responsibility so there is still gorgeous wildlife for future generations.

“Animals have just as many rights as we do

[MalteseLuna]

The activities described by Persephone sound more like the actions of feral dogs or hybrids that real dingoes - a pity no distinction is made.

There is a distinction, indeed- but all this pack looked very much desert (not alpine) dingo. There was no DNA testing back then ..but general informed opinion was that they were dingoes. It was a rare occurrence , luckily. ..and was due to a break in 'the' dog fence, apparently.

I am very pleased to hear that there are still some pure packs which can co-exist with humans! Thanks for that, malteseluna !Made me smile a bit .

I find it interesting about the hybrid litters not being whelped by 'domestic' bitches. Bitches who are feral , would, I imagine have good survival skills ..I would think that would make rearing pups possible? I am certainly not talking house dogs here- but tough and smart ferals or station/camp bitches... who often will kill and roam anyway...

Do you have links ? I am interested, as in a previous life in melbourne I was a member of The Dingo Foundation for some time .. and we concentrated on the Alpines, of course there . beautiful and interesting critters indeed:)

The reason I said that wild hybrid litters are whelped by dingoes not dogs is because all the hybrids so far DNA tested have the dingo mitochondrial genotype which is strictly maternally inherited. There is a paper on this by Peter Savolainen et al (2004) entitled A detailed picture of the origin of the Australian dingo, obtained from the study of mitochondrial DNA (published by PNAS). Also Amanda Elledge et al (2006) entitled Assessing the taxonomic status of dingoes Canis familiaris dingo for conservation (published by mammal review) has a good summary.

I can give you more information if you PM me :D

[persephone]

Aahh - thanks, malteseluna!

[pikespooches]

There was a small family of Dingoes in an area South West of Dubbo that frequented a property we lived on. They were left alone by all neighboring farmers until a small domestic dog was found running with them and they were caught chasing sheep. We were witness to this but it was NEVER made public. I am not sure if they were all wiped out of if the offending dog was removed as we left the area.

[nellbell]

That lady, pathetic. Only thinking about herself. Look at this

"Dingoes are not native to this country"

Neither are you, and neither are the animals you brought here. The dingoes were here first, so if you have a problem, you will have to find a way to deal with it that does not involved harming dingoes directly or indirectly. Dingoes should be protected Australia wide.

hear, hear, I agree. I guess to her, the 15,000 odd years the dingo has been in Australia doesn't count for much. Damn sight longer than sheep, cattle and alpaca's. They have every right to be here. It has been proved that livestock are causing more environmental damage to this country that any other animal.

[MalteseLuna]

That lady, pathetic. Only thinking about herself. Look at this

"Dingoes are not native to this country"

Neither are you, and neither are the animals you brought here. The dingoes were here first, so if you have a problem, you will have to find a way to deal with it that does not involved harming dingoes directly or indirectly. Dingoes should be protected Australia wide.

hear, hear, I agree. I guess to her, the 15,000 odd years the dingo has been in Australia doesn't count for much. Damn sight longer than sheep, cattle and alpaca's. They have every right to be here. It has been proved that livestock are causing more environmental damage to this country that any other animal.

Agreed except they have been here 4,000 - 5,000 years based on DNA evidence (still much longer than Europeans or our domestic farm animals)

Edited June 8, 2010 by MalteseLuna