Gary Taylor Photography
The Australian dingo is a medium sized carnivorous mammal, averaging 44cm-63cm at the shoulder, and weighing 13kg - 23kg on average.
Males are usually larger than females.
The dingo is an Apex Predator that controls feral species that threaten our native wildlife and plays a very important role in our biodiversity.
As long as there is water available the dingo survives in most habitats.
Numbers in the wild have declined over the years with the main cause being inter breeding with domestic dogs as well as being poisoned with 1080 baits, trapped or shot by those who believe that they are a threat to their livestock.
When infact they can be the farmers friend!
Recent evidence shows that dingoes actually render a valuable service to graziers, and to the environment, by competing with - and preying upon feral predators like foxes and cats, as well as controlling rabbit and roo populations.
They also positively benefit other native fauna and flora. Dingoes are the only predator that can naturally keep our ecosystems healthy...
Most female dingoes become sexually mature at two years but can have pups in their first breeding season. Unlike domestic dogs, dingoes only have pups once per year.Usually only the dominant pair of each pack will successfully breed and raise pups. Dens are very carefully guarded and well hidden. The other pack members help to rear the pups. The social system within packs means that not all pups can survive to adulthood. Usually only two pups will survive to the next breeding season. Generally pups usually become independent at 3–4 months of age, or if in a pack, when the next breeding season begins.
June to August is feeding time for newborn pups...
Once new born pups arrive, their mothers may be aggressive. They need to find food for themselves and their pups. Alpha mothers are very domineering during this stage, even killing another mother’s pups if she has mated with one of the pack. It’s all about survival of the strongest and the alpha pair want their pups to survive.
September to November is when pups are learning to hunt.
December to February is when they are usually learning pack rules...
Pups learn pack rules through play, and showing aggressive behaviour to gain dominance.
Dingo pups usually first venture out from their natal den at three weeks of age. Then by around eight weeks, the natal den is abandoned, and pups occupy various rendezvous dens until fully weaned at 8 weeks. Pups usually roam by themselves within 3 km of these dens, but are accompanied by adults on longer treks. Both the male and female pack members help the mother introduce the pups to whole food (9 to 12 weeks), usually by gorging on a kill then returning to the den to regurgitate food to the pups. The mother waters the pups by regurgitation, as well. Pups become independent at 3-4 months, but often assist in the rearing of younger pups until they reach sexual maturity at around 20 months old...
Dingoes are opportunistic carnivores and have a broad diet. Their consumption of carrion significantly aids the natural ecology.
In remote areas, Dingoes form stable packs of anything from 3-12 individuals that collectively occupy a territory. The territory size of a pack varies with habitat and the availability of prey. Most dingoes remain close to their area of birth, but young males can disperse tens and evenhundreds of kilometres. The diet of dingoes varies according to prey abundance and availability; prey ranges in size from mice to buffalo. Kangaroos are also an important prey item. Dingoes prey heavily on rabbits where they are present and also suppress feral pigs, goats and foxes. There is evidence that dingoes suppress the abundance and/ or activity of feral cats, which benefits native animals threatened by cat predation.
They mostly hunt alone or sometimes in pairs and form hunting packs when hunting on larger prey.
Their natural diet is kangaroo, wallaby, rabbit, reptiles, insects, possum, wombat, birds, eggs, fox, goat, pig and buffalo. Aquatic life if available...
Canis Dingo:
Wild born dingoes:
Ecology and diet:
Dingo catching prey:
They need to eat too.
Dingoes are generalist predators as, although they prey primarily upon mammals, they will readily switch their diet according to prey availability.
When they are abundant, rabbits, macropods and vombatids are important prey items, along with fruits and grasses.
But Dingoes also prey heavily on rodents, water birds and will kill and catch foxes, cats, lizards, birds, goats and pigs.
During drought Dingoes frequently consume carrion...
Dingoes are not Dogs !
Dingoes are not dogs, although they may look the same, they are distinct in many ways.
The dingo is classified as a medium sized free ranging canid indiginous to Australia. The dingo is a unique species for several reasons. Much of the dingo's life takes place in private - but myth and legend are slowly being replaced by scientific observations and research.
They have many differences to wild dogs. Genetically, environmentally, socially, reproductively, and behaviourally.
Dingoes are easily distinguished from domestic dogs in terms of behaviour and phenotype. They live in highly structured packs led by a breeding pair; perform pack hunting in certain areas; exhibit mutual defence of territories; have an annual breeding season; paternal males and alloparental care of young; and howl more than bark. Physically they have larger carnassial teeth, longer canines, longer snout, uniform coat colours and flexible joints and lack hind dew claws. Also dingoes are more adept at solving non-social problems than domestic dogs. Dogs are much more adapted to the human environment.
The dingoes anatomy...
Body...
The dingo's body is longer than it is high, and looks long legged.
Dingoes are of light build and do not carry excess layers of fat.
When looking at the dingo from above, the head is the widest part of the body, and the shoulders are tight knit to the rib cage.
A slight waist appears at the loin area.
Males are generally larger than females. In the wild dingoes rarely carry excesive amounts of fat, and seeing them with exposed ribs is a common sight.
In the north and north western Australia dingoes are generally larger than those found in southern and central regions.
Weight varies due to the environment and availability of prey.
Captive dingoes are usually larger and heavier because of easy access to food and have medical care.
Their body is designed for speed, stamina and agility.
The chest is narrow and the forelimbs are pressed into the chest, with elbows turned inwards and paws turned outward to allow both fore and hind legs on the same side to swing in the same line.
The back section of the dingo is straight and very strong. The ribcage is long and extends to the rear. The loin is arched and long. The croup is long.
The rib cage extends almost along its entire body to protect all the organs.
Gait and movement...
The dingo is light on its feet and moves in an very effecient way without unessential movement of muscles or joints.
They are capable of suspended gallop, canter, brisk trot and a loping walk.
When the dingo is moving, the fore and hind legs on the same side swing in the same line.
When walking, their hind foot steps in line with their front foot.
Dingoes mostly travel by walking and trotting unless hunting or playing...
Unlike most dogs, dingoes make single tracks when they walk. The hind foot steps in place of the front foot...
Head and skull...
The skull is broad and longer than it is wide. The head looks large in proportion to its body and is wedge shaped. The ears sit forward of the skull and have very broad cheek bones. It is flat between the ears. The skull narrows in front of the eyes to the muzzle. The muzzle has a well developed under jaw. The neck is thick, long and well developed. Dingoes possess strong jaws and a flexible neck that is suited for both small and large prey.
Eyes and Ears...
The eyes are almond shaped. They are medium sized and usually hazel to dark and have dark rims. The shape and position of the eyes and ears allow for extreme awareness of their surroundings.
The ears are upright and situated high on the skull. They are small to medium in size, and slightly rounded at the tip.
Forequarters...
The chest is narrow in width. The shoulder is high and flat at the highest point of the dingo's shoulder.
The front feet are oval shaped, medium sized, thick pads and slightly turned out. Nails are short and strong.
Hindquarters...
The croup is broad and long. The entire hindquarter is sound and well muscled.
The feet are medium sized, oval shaped with thick pads and no hind dew claws.
Tail...
The tail is flattish, broadening from one third behind the base to mid length and then tappering to the end. The tail is carried low. A scent gland is positioned down the tail (see Photo to right), identified by a dark spot...
Coat...
The coat has a dry/hard outer with a soft undercoat.
Most dingoes have white points.
The coat is seasonal and in general has no body odour.
The greatest threat to dingoes is persecution by humans. Both governments and landholders have attempted eradication or control programs involving 1080 poisoning, hunting, trapping and fencing.
Dingoes are also threatened by habitat loss, Hybridaisation with domestic dogs threatens the integrity of the dingo as a distinct genetic entity...
Threats:
Three types of baits are used in destroying the Dingo.
The first two, moist meat and dried meat, are the most commonly used and are made on-site from meat cut from culled kangaroos, cattle or horses.
Baits are cut to size then injected with six milligrams of 1080, and parts of QLD where up to ten milligrams of 1080 is surface-applied to baits.. In WA pastoralists are also able to make small quantities of baits by inserting an oat grain impregnated with six milligrams of 1080 into the meat; the 1080 leaches from the oat into the meat.
Moist meat baits are used immediately but dried meat baits are sun-dried before use to about 40% of their original weight.
The toxicity of moist meat baits declines much more rapidly than dried meat baits.
The dried meat baits are quite hard and therefore difficult for non-target species like birds to eat.
The third type of bait is the manufactured Doggone bait. These baits contain six milligrams of 1080 and are made from a soft meat-like substitute based on meat meal.
They also contain fat, preservatives, binding agents and flavour enhancers.
Occasionally, meat baits are dyed with a tasteless green vegetable dye to reduce the chance of detection and removal by birds.
Frequently found in rural Australia.
1080 poison baits:
The dingo tree:
The dingo fence:
"The Dingo Fence", the barrier runs for 5531 klms (3437 miles) and is the longest fence of its kind.
It has partially succeeded in making the areas of Southern QLD, NSW, Vic, and Sth Aust relatively dingo free.
However, for a long time by decreasing dingoes in these areas, the populations of native herbivore like kangaroos and emus as well as introduced pests like feral cats, rabbits and red foxes has increased. The introduced invasive species have caused massive declines in native Australian animals such as bilbies, bandicoots and bettongs.
That's why it's important to bring back our native predator the dingo into areas that they once roamed freely!
What does the RSPCA think about the trapping of wild dogs?
Article ID: 145
Last updated: 01 Mar, 2010
Wild dogs can cause substantial suffering to livestock when they kill or injure sheep, calves or other young animals. They are the subject of a number of control programs around Australia because of their potential to cause envornmental and agricultural damage. The main ways in which wild dogs are controlled is through trapping and baiting programs.
The RSPCA is not opposed to the use of lethal control methods for pest animals provided that there is justification for such killing and there is no effective, humane non-lethal alternative method available. However, the RSPCA is opposed to any method of control that does not result in a humane death. Current methods of trapping do not meet this requirement, as animals that are caught in traps can suffer greatly for a considerable time before they are finally killed.
There are a range of steel-jawed and other leg-hold traps used in Australia. Some States and Territories have placed restrictions on the type of traps that can be used, but all jawed traps are capable of inflicting pain and suffering when animals are caught.
Many traps are set in remote areas where there is no possibility of checking them daily, and dogs (or other, non-target, species) could potentially remain caught in a trap for several days until they are killed. Even though this situation results in unacceptable cruelty, the RSPCA cannot prosecute as pest animal control legislation overrides the provisions of animal welfare legislation.
RSPCA Australia believes that toothed steel-jawed leg-hold traps and snares should be banned from use in all Australian States and Territories as they cause serious physical injury and suffering to the captured animal. The use of any type of live trap can also cause suffering if the captured animal injures itself when attempting to escape, is rendered vulnerable to attack from other animals, or is restrained for a long period without food or water. Such traps should only be used in circumstances that avoid potential suffering and where regular checks are made. Alternative methods of control such as exclusion fencing should be used far more widely. RSPCA Australia believes that traps that kill instantaneously and reliably are a humane method of control and supports the development of devices to enable this, where lethal control is necessary. As a matter of urgency, research must be funded to facilitate the adoption of alternative trapping devices for all wild dog trapping.
The dingo is guardian of Australia's unique fauna & flora
Research has demonstrated that dingoes have a profound influence on ecosystem structure.
The ecological influence of dingoes is so important in fact, that many native species can only persist where dingoes are present.
Dingoes suppress mesopredators (foxes & cats) and herbivores (rabbits, kangaroos, emus, feral goats & pigs), which enables small mammals to increase in abundance. Where predator control is relaxed, vegetation cover and diversity also increase.
Because dingoes are socially complex, they are particularly sensitive to lethal control.
Dingoes are deeply social and intelligent beings. They care for each other, hunt together, maintain territories and traditions, and their ecological influence is tightly linked with their pack structure.
To recover Australia's ecosystems, predator control practises must be eliminated entirely, and dingoes given full protection.
It is the pack that is the apex predator, not the individual dingo.
Many ecologists now recognise that the disruption of dingo populations has been the ultimate driving force of extinction and land degradation in Australia.
The ecosystem does recover when dingo populations are restored.
As Australia's Top Land Predator
As Australia’s "top land predator", dingoes have a mixed reputation. Farmers have long lamented their attacks on livestock, and in the public mind they are associated with the disappearance of baby Azaria Chamberlain in 1980.
In most states, dingoes are classified as vermin, which means it’s legal to bait, trap and shoot dingoes and crossbred wild dogs.
But some farmers are finding a dingo-friendly approach is gaining better results.
Not too long ago a Queensland cattle farmer (Angus Emmott) recalled the following,
“As a youngster we used to always bait and we were always putting traps out and trapping dingoes,” “So it was an ongoing war back in the day.”
But these days Angus lets dingoes roam free on his farm.
“At no effort to yourself it provides control of your feral animals and also your large number of roos,” he says.
“So it’s a win-win. In saying that, dingoes do take a certain no of calves - it’s very low, but I think with all the other benefits that’s a pretty small price to pay.”
Research backs up the idea that attempts to eliminate dingoes are counter-productive.
In some cases where they have killed dingoes they have seen more stock loss - more animals killed than before and more dingoes living in that area rather than less, (but in fractured pack structures)! There are also other negative effects; more kangaroos, more foxes. So overall it’s been unsuccessful.
Australia's dingo is a extraordinary animal, that is able to more or less do the job of a lion or tiger; just because it looks like dog, it loses any value, when it is the most valuable animal in our ecosystem.
But the wool board feels that dingoes and wild dogs remain the sheep farmer’s worst enemy.
They say "in the long run their numbers have got to be significantly reduced,” and Wool Producers Australia has put together a national wild dog action plan to rid our dingoes that we've got in rural Australia.
It's a fact that we need our dingoes and we must get them off of the vermin listing.
If we can learn to coexist with the dingo without lethal control, we can and will all benefit...
The dingoes future ultimately depends on how we - governments, landholders, scientists, conservationists, the public and the media - chooses to see them and how this influences our views on how we should or shouldn't manage them. Ideally a sustainable coexistence that favours non-lethal approaches to conflict resolution. Such as concentrating on guardian livestock animals with no further baiting.
Why keeping Dingo populations healthy means more $ for cattle graziers.The short and sweet of it...Having dingoes in the system the whole system benefits.The conservation of dingoes is hampered by economic conflicts between predation and livestock production.Dingoes are the top predator in Australia's terrestrial ecosystems but their abundance is controlled because they prey on livestock.Dingo control (trapping, poisoning and shooting) is associated with increased populations of herbivores, which leads to reduced cattle conditioning and fertility through competition for pasture.Research has demonstrated and proven that where dingo populations are left alone the competition for grazing reduces, so it's a win-win situation for the graziers and our ecosystems.So, education, funding and advocating for guardian animals is the way forward to dingo conservation and both sides need our support!
Why keeping dingo populations healthy means more $$$ for cattle graziers...
Extinction Rate Statistics Attributed to Foxes and Cats...
Extinction Rate Statistics Attributed to Foxes and Cats
One of The Dingo Debate’s strongest factual arguments was its analysis of extinction rates where there were and were not any dingoes. Johnson from James Cook University discovered that mammals and marsupials in areas with healthy dingo populations survived much longer than they did in environments that did not have dingoes. In fact, 90% of ground dwelling mammals had gone extinct in areas where dingos had been banished from. This local extinction rate was the direct result of foxes and feral cats. Johnson further states that “his interest in protective effect of dingoes began years ago”.
Johnson Study
Johnson’s interest in the protective effect of dingoes began when we was working on a northern New South Wales cattle farm that was owned by “very good naturalists”. He was conducting a study on wallabies in the area. To his surprise there were no foxes in the area. The property owners explained to Johnson how they didn’t bait dingoes because they understood the importance of apex predators in an environmental system and how vital they are to sustaining and maintaining the ecological balance. Johnson’s new perspective (from his disposition change on the dingoes) directed him to change his study on the cattle farm. His new study was to look at fox and cat population and how many threatened native animals were on the cattle stations. After weeks of meticulous research he did not discover any foxes or cats in the area. Positively he also found that the area was a haven for rat kangaroos, bettongs and threatend marsupials.
Johnson further explained another eye opening situation that happened only a few weeks after he finished his study. A colleague of his was doing a study on the endangered rufous hare-wallaby in the Tanami Desert. While his colleague was studying the wallaby he observed that the dingo was occasionally eating them. He notified the local parks and wildlife services and it resulted in the poisoning of all the dingoes in the area. After the dingoes were poisoned from the site Johnson’s colleague stated,
“Within two weeks, there were foxes on the site, and they killed off all the hare-wallabies. That species is now extinct on the mainland”. – Johnson’s Colleague (Levy, S. 2009)
Key Observation of Mesopredator Release
The upsetting outcome of the rufous hare-wallaby is a strong example of mesopredator release. Mesopredator release is when an apex predator (dingo) is removed from a system and the lesser predator(s) (cats/foxes) become unchecked and unchallenged. This is the syndrome of a worsened ecological balance due to the elimination of the top order predator that is replaced by the lesser predator. There have been several studies in North America with the same situation. All of the studies clearly show a negative impact on ecological balance.
~Gary Taylor Photography~
Dingoes protecting our environment and by relaxing human intervention and allowing the dingo to re-assume their natural role, can rapidly restore ecological resilience and reduce the threat of invasive species...
At what age are dingoes self sufficient? Well from what I've seen, by six months old they're fairly on to it
Our Dingoes are so cool
Our Dingoes are so cool...Another post for any graziers...
Let’s face it: Australia doesn’t have the best international reputation for good ecological management. We’ve been particularly loathsome in our protection of forests, we have an appalling record of mammal extinctions, we’re degenerate water wasters and carbon emitters, our country is overrun with feral animals and weeds, and we have a long-term love affair with archaic, deadly, cruel, counter-productive and xenophobic predator management. To top it all off, we have a government hell-bent on screwing our already screwed environment even more.
Still, we soldier on and try to fix the damages already done or convince people that archaic policies should be scrapped and redrawn. One such policy that I’ve written about before is the idiocy and cruelty of the dingo fence.
The ecological evidence that dingoes are good for Australian wildlife and that they pose less threat to livestock than purported by some evidence-less graziers is becoming too big to ignore any longer. Poisoning and fencing are not only counter-productive, they are cruel, ineffective and costly.
So just when ecologists thought that dingoes couldn’t get any cooler, out comes the latest paper demonstrating that letting dingoes do their thing results in a net profit for cattle graziers.
Come again?
That’s right. Having more dingoes around your arid-country cattle station will actually end up giving you a higher profit margin, provided you don’t overstock (which you shouldn’t in the first place). How can this surprising phenomenon eventuate?
With even the slightest bit of basic ecological understanding – something sadly lacking from most of our politicians – it turns out to be rather intuitive.
How does it work?
Let’s examine the basics. Dingoes are predators, a fact on which we can all agree. They eat many different things and occasionally take out young livestock (lambs and calves). They also eat a lot of kangaroos, and in fact, seem to prefer them. In a typical cattle station setting in arid Australia, two herbivore groups (cattle & macropods) compete for the most limiting resource – grass. Thus, it stands to reason (and ecological scrutiny) that when there are fewer kangaroos around, there is more grass for cattle to eat. More food means bigger and fatter cattle, which means more profit for the grazier.
Enter the dingo.
Dingoes are predators that can reduce kangaroo densities in arid Australia rather efficiently. Yes, they do occasionally take out the odd calf, which counts as an economic loss to the farmer. But when you do the maths, they demonstrate clearly that the better-quality and higher biomass of grass left over after dingoes have done what they do best, results in a higher net profit to the farmer. How cool are dingoes?
In fact, if worked out that under normal stocking conditions in outback Australia, cattle graziers can make up to $0.83/hectare more when their dingo populations are healthy. That might not sound like a lot, but considering the average area of an Australian cattle station (50,000 to several 100,000 hectares), that works out to at least $50,000 to $150,000 more earned per year. Nothing to scoff at.
Not only are the farmer’s profits higher, but there is less inter-annual variation in them given that having fewer kangaroos around reduces the amount of change in grass biomass from one year to the next. Such clever, dingo-friendly farmers would of course be able to brag that their native wildlife populations would be much healthier and happier with their protector dingos around.
It’s a win-win situation, and something we hope the cleverest farmers and policy makers eventually recognise.
~Gary Taylor Photography~
Dingoes are social animals...
Where and when conditions are favourable, they form stable packs that maintain distinct territories that overlap little with neighbouring packs. However, regional variations are seen, reflecting the flexible nature of dingo social structure. This flexibility is not surprising in view of the wide variety of habitats, prey species, climatic conditions and the levels of human exploitation encountered across this country.
Specialisation on larger prey such as kangaroos and wallabies favours increasing sociality and the formation of larger groups.
The primary function of dingo packs is to defend hunting areas and other essential resources.
As an example, in the north-west of Western Australia, where kangaroos are the main prey and natural water is widely distributed the dingoes are organised into stable packs occupying discrete territories that overlap little with neighbouring packs. Packs comprise of a dominent male and female (alpha) and their offspring of various ages. Territory boundaries are stable and between pack encounters are rare.
Packs vary in size and range anything from 3-12 individuals, with the smaller packs tending to occupying the poorer areas and larger ranges.
Pack members cooperate to hunt prey and take part in communal activities such as feeding, resting and raising pups.
Lone dingoes are sometimes seen; they have no pack affiliation, occupy larger ranges that overlap the mosaic of pack territories and avoid encounters with packs. They are usually seeking a mate and a vacant area in which to settle.
In a more fluid situation, in the northern tropical Territory stable packs occupy territories, but alter where and what they hunt according to season and prey availability.
In the arid pastoral regions of central Australia most dingoes are seen alone, although they are loosely bonded in small groups sharing a common living area.
A similar pattern also on the Nullabor. Here the dingoes prey mostly on rabbits. Water is sparse and shared by other groups.
Groupings of dingoes are most common during the months leading up to mating, during the raising of pups, and when dingoes are feeding on larger prey like the kangaroo.
These are just examples of a couple of locations to give you an idea on pack structures, taking into account, water and the seasons menu....
Since the dingoes arrival ???
Since the dingoes arrival in Australia??? thousands of years ago ??? natural selection has shaped a highly efficient predator able to function successfully in all our diverse environments, from deserts to alpine regions. The dingo also became deeply incorporated into indigenous culture both spiritually and practically as bed warmer, camp guard and hunting assistant.
Before European settlement , dingo numbers were estimated to be relatively low , but easier access to water, via the creation of dams and other forms of storage, and prey, such as introduced rabbit, resulted in increased numbers.
Dingoes are intelligent and resourceful, as well as extremely resilient and adaptable to new situations and environmental conditions. They are well equipped with tools typical of an efficient predator physically suited to taking down larger prey than themselves: strong jaw, large canines and flexible joints. With extremely keen senses and an efficient gait for both high speed and long distance travel, they are generalists able to survive on practically any food source ranging from berries and insects to large kangaroos.
Availability of prey species, water and environmental conditions influence the dingoes hunting strategies, with the type and abundance of prey determining the size of hunting groups.. Mostly dingoes are solitary hunters, preying on smaller marsupials such as wallabies and bandicoots, as well as rodents and rabbits.
However, one of the dingoes most compelling traits is its highly evolved social behaviour. In most cases, dingoes live in structured family groups within defined territories.
All members help to raise the young, teaching and reinforcing social and hunting behaviour whilst defending and maintaining the territory against other dingoes, domestic dogs, feral dogs and smaller predators.
~Gary Taylor Photography~
Although dingoes are often seen alone, most belong to socially integrated packs whose members meet every few days or coalesce during the breeding season to mate and rear pups. At such times, scent marking and howling is most pronounced. In areas where dingoes are not disturbed by human control operations, discrete and stable packs of 3–12 dingoes occupy territories throughout the year. Such packs have distinct male and female hierarchies where rank order is largely determined and maintained by aggressive behaviour especially within the male ranks.
Dingoes live in packs characterised by a male dominance hierarchy throughout the year and a secondary female hierarchy during the breeding season. Essentially there are dominant animals, subordinate animals and scapegoats at the bottom of the hierarchy. A consequence of this social system is that not all dingoes have equal access to food and other resources, because dominant animals frequently deny access to subordinates, even in the presence of abundant food supplies..
Many healthy ecosystems include an 'apex' or top-order predator.
In Australia, a healthy relationship exists between dingoes and herbivores. Dingoes regulate native herbivores such as macropods and exotic herbivores such as rabbits, feral pigs and goats by removing sick or diseased animals and stabilising numbers. For example, kangaroos and emus tend to be less abundant where dingoes are common. Australian prey species, particularly macropods, have developed predator responses such as avoidance of dingo urine and, in a chase situation, are known to flee to water and to eject pouch young.
Interestingly, mounting evidence suggests that many mammal extinctions across Australia could be traced to persecution of dingoes by humans.
Top order predators have been recognised as keystone species in virtually all ecosystems. The loss of a top order predator can trigger a cascade of extinctions through a process known as mesopredator release.Essentially this means the number of medium-sized predators increase in the absence of larger predators. Scientists have discovered a negative relationship between dingo abundance and the number of cats and foxes in given areas.
That is, wherever they co-occur, dingoes suppress the effects of introduced predators such as foxes and feral cats on native fauna. Species such as native rodents, bilbies, quolls and rufous hare-wallabies suffer local extinctions where no dingoes are present, since foxes and feral cats quickly populate the area. Thus, maintaining and, where possible, reintroducing populations of dingoes is an important strategy in conserving vulnerable native species.
