Scientists call for changes to NSW, VIC and SA dingo policy
Recently 25 Australian scientists and experts signed joint letters to the NSW, VIC and SA Environment and Agriculture Ministers calling on them to review and revise current State Government policy regarding dingoes.
Significant advances in our scientific knowledge about dingoes, particularly concerning the "wild dog" myth demonstrate that most wild canids in Australia are simply dingoes. Dingoes are native wildlife and not an invasive species. It is no longer acceptable for dingoes to be killed as pests in National Parks.
Figure: Map of dingo ancestry from DNA testing of wild canids across Australia using advanced SNP testing of 195,000 DNA markers. Republished from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/mec.16998
We asked the State Government Ministers to adopt policy that:
refers to dingoes as "dingoes" and feral domestic dogs as "feral dogs", retiring use of the misnomer "wild dogs"
cease killing dingoes in National Parks
adopt proactive evidence-based dingo conservation management policies prioritising non-lethal management tools
educate and invest in non-lethal dingo management solutions with primary producers
PDF copies of the signed letters to NSW, SA and VIC Ministers are available for download here:
Please consider writing your own letter to NSW, VIC or SA Ministers calling on them to revise current dingo management policies in the face of updated scientific knowledge about dingoes and dispelling of the 'wild dog' myth.
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