Managing dingoes on Fraser Island: culling, conflict, and an alternative

Abstract

Abstract. Globally, the role of large predators is increasingly understood as essential for the restoration and maintenance of ecosystems. Consequently, predator conservation represents a paradigm shift in ecological thinking, yet the management of predators sets conflicting goals because of ongoing conflict with humans. This is exemplified on Fraser Island where dingoes come into conflict with tourists, and dingoes perceived to be dangerous are regularly culled. It is argued here that this new conservation paradigm premised on protecting predators in conjunction with conventional wildlife management can result in predator populations being held in a perpetual state of social disorder, exacerbating rather than alleviating conflict. We consider the intensity and frequency of lethal control and how this may impact upon predator social structures, healthy ecological function, stable breeding patterns and stable territoriality. The direct effects of management-induced psychological stress for the survivors of episodic culls are discussed, as well as the indirect flowon effects of social dysfunction. A final consideration is the cyclical nature of lethal control, whereby conflict with humans results in culling which, in turn, gives rise to further social disruption and conflict. In part, our assessment is derived from official data collected in the course of the management of dingoes on Fraser Island. On this basis, and on the basis of the international literature available, we offer new insights, which may inform predator management more broadly.

Pets and pests: a review of the contrasting economics and fortunes of dingoes and domestic dogs in Australia, and a proposed new funding scheme for non-lethal dingo management

“…Some have suggested that the main conservation threat to dingoes is hybridisation with other dogs (Elledge et al 2006;Corbett 2008;Stephens et al 2015;Allen et al 2017a), and 'pure' dingo populations are, thus, commonly considered to be of special conservation value and may be viewed as warranting active conservation. However, even on K'gari (Fraser Island), a World Heritage National Park renowned for the 'pureness' of its dingo population (but see Woodall et al 1996), lethal control of dingoes remains a component of management as a result of human-dingo conflict (O'Neill et al 2017).…”

Elucidating biogeographical patterns in Australian native canids using genome wide SNPs

“…Genetic rescue may be used to improve the fitness of threatened species or populations [ 44 ]. Inbreeding is of particular concern for the Fraser Island dingo population given their low effective population size, conservation significance and the lethal management strategies employed [ 32 , 45 – 47 ].…”

Utilising aversive conditioning to manage the behaviour of K’gari (Fraser Island) dingoes (Canis dingo)

“…The impact of lethal control on the dingo population is contentious, with Allen et al (2015) concluding that it was unlikely to have any adverse impacts on breeding success or sustainability at the current rate, while O'Neill et al (2017) contended that lethal control on the island leads to social disruption and instability, which in turn leads to negative human-dingo interactions, resulting in a perpetual cycle of conflict.…”