Dingoes: Their History, Impact, and Evolution

Randi Welsh
November 12, 2015

After 5000 years on the continent, the Dingo is considered the native dog of Australia.
But now it is about to become extinct. As baiting programs and hybridization with feral domestic

dogs pull down pure dingo numbers, there are growing warnings that the breed risks extinction in
the wild, perhaps in just a few decades. There are many debates as to what will be done about the
Dingoes. Some are for the conservation and protection of them, saying that they are a native
species and deserve to be saved. Others, such as livestock herders, disagree and only see them as
a nuisance. The big question here is will they become extinct? Or will we step in and help to
protect them?
The Dingo has made an immense environmental impact on Australia. When introduced,
Thylacines (a doglike carnivorous marsupial with stripes across the rump) and Tasmanian devils
were widespread on the continent. Both have now vanished there, but have survived in Tasmania,
which is dingo free. They have managed to out compete those who were natives to the land
before they arrived. This makes them a fierce predator. Common prey are rabbits, wallabies,
sheep, kangaroos, and cattle. They have even been known to attack humans.
These animals killer instincts make them a serious economic pest in farmland,
particularly sheep country. Dingoes were treated as vermin from the day settlers first let sheep
and cattle loose. Not only do they attack and kill the animals, they also can stress out the sheep
herd causing poor fleece growth.These are both ways that farmers lose money and how they can
have an impact on the economy. A survey in the Northern Territory in 1995 estimated the value
of calves lost to dingo predation at about $13.5 million annually, with another $300,000 going on
control measures. Just think of how the numbers could have grown since 1995. Currently the
pest control legislation is conflicting with conservation policies. For instance, dingoes are safe
inside national parks but not outside. Many think this is reasonable. But, this leaves a lot of
material in the middle. Should conservation efforts be made for animals that are such pests?
It is said there may be economic and environmental reasons for conserving dingoes. After
arriving from Asia, dingoes have carved out an ecological role. Research suggests that they keep
down feral cat and fox numbers, and can also rein in kangaroo populations. It is reasonable that,
by killing kangaroos and wallabies in pastoral areas, they reduce grazing pressure on the land
and, by killing calves during drought, they actually help some pastoralists. The dingo is
increasingly being seen as a savior with the means to suppress these predators, such as the feral
cats and foxes, and save many remaining small vertebrates. But, of course not all graziers are
convinced of the possible benefits. Some hate dingoes with a passion. You cant always change
someones mind about something, all you can do is help them to be well informed about what is
going on.
"It's becoming evident that we're not doing things quite right [in terms of conservation],
so we may need to shift our thinking," says Max Tischler, an ecologist with Bush Heritage
Australia. Max is one of a growing number of experts who argue that reintroducing the dingo,
which avoids small prey, is one of the most effective things we can do for conservation. "In a
pastoral context they would also keep pig and kangaroo numbers down, which benefits
graziersand allows native vegetation to regenerate," he says. If experts are on the side of
reintroducing the dingo, why are others not for it? The experts are the ones who do the studies
and crunch the numbers to make sure something like this would work.
Chris Dickman, an ecologist at the University of Sydney, admits that the idea is "very
highly controversial" because dingoes attack livestock and are "generally hated" in rural areas.
But a 2009 study he co-authored revealed that 70 out of 80 threatened mammals, birds and
reptiles in western NSW would benefit if the dingo was brought back. The solution to persuading
farmers of the merits of the idea, Chris says, is to get the government to provide grants that
would cover the cost of guard animals in paddocks and compensation if sheep are killed. Dog

breeds such as the Maremma or Anatolian shepherd are effective at raising the alarm, as are
llamas, alpacas and donkeys, he says. "Alpacas will physically attack dingoes." Persuasion will
have to be key here. The government has to get on board, and with that hopefully the farmers
will follow.
Genetically pure dingos days seem to be numbered. With sheep and cattle, settlers also
brought domestic dogs. It wasnt long before these dogs were interbreeding or hybridizing with
dingoes. "Once hybridization starts, there's little you can do about it and the hybrids soon
overrun the entire population in a given area," says Laurie Corbett, a former CSIRO research
scientist who's studied dingoes for more than 30 years. "In most places in Australia there are no
pure dingoes left. Even on Fraser Island, where people want to believe the dingoes are the purest
in the world, the dingo population is about one-third hybrid." What does this mean for the future
population of the species?
Some people argue that hybrids pose an even bigger threat because they can breed every
nine months, unlike pure breads, who only breed once every 12 months. However, in harsh
conditions, raising two litters a year could be difficult, and one litter a year may be more likely
for hybrids as well. As a consequence, the hybrid may be much like the purebred and few people
will be able to tell the difference. Doubtless, there are still a few genetically pure dingoes out
there, but the longer we leave them, the fewer therell be. Are they worth saving? Australians
would be paying the price for DNA testing dogs in the wild to find the purebreds. Then,
eliminating the hybrids and protecting the purebreds in fenced areas or on offshore islands to
protect their purity.
Theres an ethical dimension to this issue. Whether we like it or not, wild dogs and
dingoes are generating new canine varieties. This is evolution in action. Will we be interrupting
nature in its process by conserving and protecting the dingo? Further research will be needed in
order to determine what kind of effect this would have on the future population of the Dingo.
Australias most populous state (New South Wales) recent law classifies dingoes as
suitable pets. Aborigines had dingoes as companion animals for thousands of years, but modern
Australians are debating whether these unique wild dogs should be kept as household pets. Their
role with the Aborigines was to assist on hunting expeditions. They worry that widespread
domestication and mixing genes with other dogs might hasten the extinction of a pure breed. The
reclassification from pests to pets was intended to save them from extinction by removing an
obligation to shoot the animals on sight. Their reputation for attacking livestock initially earned
them the shoot on sight sentence. The dingo is a predator, a wild animal. Once they reach
maturity they become difficult to handle and usually end up escaping, and thats where the
problems begin.
The dingo is a very interesting animal. It has a rich history, coming from Asia to Australia
almost 5000 years ago and making this new place its home. There are many advantages to
keeping the population of the dingoes safe, but there are also disadvantages that have to be
looked at. This situation needs to be carefully considered. As, for keeping them as pets that just
seems like a terrible idea. There are still many studies that need to be performed and questions to
be answered about this species in order to move forward. It is hard to say whether or not the
Australian public will decide to help the dingo. It seems as though only time can tell what will
come next for this amazing creature.

Citations
Meredith, P. (2004, Bye-bye dingo. Australian Geographic (Terrey Hills, Australia) no.74, 104 109.
Bringing back the dingo. (2010). Australian Geographic, (100), 99. author not stated
O'Connor, P. (2003, Dec 11). Wild dingoes facing extinction. Cincinnati Post. pp. A25
Clausen, L. (2005). DINGO, GOING GONE? Time International (South Pacific Edition), (48),
46-48.