Canberra Times joins the torch-weilding anti-dingo mob

I can’t believe I made that typo…

Bred, not ‘bread’ 😉

at least you got a rise….

Clown Killer said :

peterh – are you aware of any references for the claim that humans were responsible for the extinction of the megafauna? I’d be interested that’s all.

there are some middens in areas near lake eyre show diprotodon bones, as do areas in qld and the NT. diprotodon were like a rhino without the horn, and probably had no means of defence against the aboriginals.

controlled burns also accounted for several different species, and there were other species of bird, animal and reptile that we don’t seem to be able to account for. there are fossil traces for some, then there is a period where there is nothing, except for a layer of ash. The best people to speak to (if you can) are some of the communities near katherine. they still believe that the bunyip is a diprotodon.

peterh – are you aware of any references for the claim that humans were responsible for the extinction of the megafauna? I’d be interested that’s all.

Dingos are the direct descendents of Asian Wild dogs, brought here by Asian seafarers some 4,500 BP while trepanging.

The Asian wild dog was used as a companion animal and as a food source, given that it could survive on a diet of fish, something a dingo can do today.

The dingo also out competed the tasmanian Tiger driving it to extinction given that the dingo was a much more efficient predator and scavenger. Thus Thylacines were reduced to living on tasmania where the dingo never reached, due to the fact the land bridge from the mainland to tasmania flooded some 8,000 years previous to the dingos arrival.

Thunper, the thylacine decline was never proven to be the work of the dingos, they had different hunting habits, and dingos had been in the australian mainland some 500 years prior to the thylacine’s demise. Dingos hunt by day, Thylacines hunted at night.

The actual cause of the decline is still being debated, it is believed that there were other factors involved, one of which was the change of large herbivores like the giant kangaroo & the diprotodon. After the arrival of the current indigenous peoples – who wiped out the diprotodon and the giant kangaroo, and were known to hunt the thylacines as well. It may be that the dingo had a contributing factor to play, but it was not the overall killer of the thylacines.

Peterh and Thumper, you’re probably right, but I’ve always used a simpler test. You can tell if two animals belong to the same species by the fact that they produce fertile off-spring when they breed. The technicalities of nomenclature prevail but in the end, in my book at least – a dog is a dog is a dog.

You’re right about the mess they make Thumper, and it’s never a pleasant job to have to destroy livestock that have been mauled.

One thing though, I’d disagree that the problem is far worse now than in times past. My father can recall getting eight dingoes/dogs in one night during the early 50s using a horse carcass laced with strychnine – I reckon you’d be pretty lucky if you got the same result these days.

Clown Killer said :

Having grown upon rural properties in the Victorian high country and then later in my 20s in NSW in Paupong bordering the Kosciuszko National Park I’ve seen my share of wild dog problems.

Some interesting observations I’ve made over that time include:

Wild dogs that are definately known to live in National Parks (according to my neighbours)will cross through several properties stocked with tasty young lambs to wreak havoc on some hapless pastoralists ewes 45km from the park boundary, night after night – that’s a fact.

Wild dogs belong to the species canis familiaris

Dingos, on the other hand, belong to the species canis familiaris

dingos do not belong to the species canis lupus familiaris, they belong to the species Canis lupus dingo.

they are thought to be a decendant of the Iranian Wolf (Canis lupus pallipes), and the dingo species exists in asia as well as australia. They have significant differences to domestic dogs, for example, no dewclaws, and have been estimated to be in australia for about 3,500 – 4000 years.

Headbonius said :

Yes, they are. Shit Tins of feral dogs roaming Namadgi National Park along with effen Brumbies and Wild Pigs. With the dogs and pigs leaving the park at will to kill and maim live stock. BTW the dogs are as much Dingo as I am Indigenous. With your comment of Too Bad, you could leave your job as RiotAct editor and gfet a job with Parks ACT. That is their Business Motto. Good job JB.

thanks headbonius, I am glad that someone else has made the distinction. the dingos are not interested in coming close to man, they are happy feasting on the bountiful roos.

wild dogs, on the other hand, will attack anything that moves as the pack fans out. I have seen boars with multiple bite marks, and dead dogs around them, that would point to either a pack hitting a herd of pigs or the boar alone. either way, the dogs may have killed the boar, but he took a few with him.

I have sighted on a large black shaggy dog, it was huge. .308 brought him down, hole in one eye, mess at the back. dead. still enough life left (still cannot believe it was possible)to start crawling towards me. my mate took out his other eye.

I have seen atrocities on both sheep and roos. sheep with their legs broken, the ground kicked up where they obviously tried to scrabble away, before the dogs tore them to shreds. roos with their legs eaten away, leaving the roo alive and in agony. we would put them down. this kind of thing makes you sick, I know I was on several occasions.

wild dogs, ferals, need to be eradicated. they cannot be tamed, they must be destroyed.
if they were “tamed”, would you let them near your kids? no way.

Having grown upon rural properties in the Victorian high country and then later in my 20s in NSW in Paupong bordering the Kosciuszko National Park I’ve seen my share of wild dog problems.

Some interesting observations I’ve made over that time include:

Wild dogs that are definately known to live in National Parks (according to my neighbours)will cross through several properties stocked with tasty young lambs to wreak havoc on some hapless pastoralists ewes 45km from the park boundary, night after night – that’s a fact.

Wild dogs belong to the species canis familiaris

Dingos, on the other hand, belong to the species canis familiaris

The amount of grief a farmer is prepared to stick into the local land management agencies is directly related to the amount of hand holding the local opposition member / candidate is prepared to put in.

On our properties we managed our livestock and the pest animals and we never had cause for whinging or trying to place blame elsewhere. Although we were close to national parks, we didn’t have them as direct neighbour but unlike the pastoralists around us we diddn’t blame them for stock loss when it happened, we simply did somthing about it when it happened.

Actually Sepi a very good use of the mongrels. Nothing creepy about it at all. I’m sure JB could recommend an excellent Soy Meat restuarant for you.

Wee Jasper general store sells feral dog hides – pretty creepy.