SHOULD WE ENCOURGAE 13/03/2017

DINGOES BACK INTO THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT? Wafaa Adam

217310062
Deakin University, Burwood
ESSAY PLAN
INTRODUCTION:
 Why are dingoes separated form mesopredators?
o Dingoes are wild canines that are found largely in Australia. They are Australia’s main
territorial predators that are found as pests by farmers due to the fact dingoes mainly prey
on sheep and calves, hence the reason fences have been situated to separate the dingoes’
ecosystem from that of the domestic animals.
 There is strong support that the use of dingoes is a great management tool that would enhance the
conservation of the native animals in Australia (Nimmo et al. 2015).
 Thesis statement (point of view)
o This essay will examine the benefits and negatives of encouraging dingoes back into the
wild.
BODY PARAGRAPH 1: The diet and habitat of a dingo
 Dingoes are carnivorous animals that hunt and eat whatever they find. (Dingoes. 2017)
 Rabbits and Kangaroos are the most abundant prey items for the dingo. 96% of the mammal
species have accounted as food items found in diet samples of dingoes. (Marsack & Campbell.
1990)
 Dingoes are largely abundant when there are rabbits and red kangaroos that they can consume.
However, dingoes have been poisoned through consumption of baits which can be detrimental to
the conservation of biodiversity. (Letnic et al. 2011)
 Since their diet consists of mainly rabbits and red kangaroos they are most likely to regulate the
over population of these two species as well as maintain conservation to Australia’s native species.
BODY PARAGRAPH 2: Dingoes help with over population and protection of vulnerable animals against
mesopredators
 The apex predators have been reported to have an important role in the structure of food webs
and maintenance of the ecological processes for benefit of biodiversity at lower trophic levels.
(Allen et al. 2011).
 There is some evidence that states that dingoes do have effects on the population of feral cats and
red foxes, hence providing protection to animals that are otherwise vulnerable to theses
mesopredators. (Johnson & VanDerWal. 2009).
 Dingoes help in conservation of the Australian native animals whilst also maintaining an efficient
and effective population of unwanted over populations of feral cats, foxes and rabbits. (Levy. 2009)
 Although the dingoes have been an important aspect in maintaining the population of
mesopredators there are still some issues that need to be dealt with such as their interbreeding
with dogs and the problems they cause in urban areas.
BODY PARAGRAPH 3: Presence of dingoes in the urban areas have said to be problematic
 The presence of dingoes in urban areas have been a challenge in substantial management that
cannot be fixed with tools and techniques (Allen et al. 2011)
 Urban dingoes may contribute to human risks and safety issues, as well as providing social,
economic and environmental impacts (Allen et al. 2013)
 Dingoes can interbreed with dogs creating sub-species (Dingoes. 2017)
 Despite these problems there seems to be a more influential and beneficial understanding that
encouraging dingoes back into the wild may do more good than harm.
SHOULD WE ENCOURGAE 13/03/2017
DINGOES BACK INTO THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT? Wafaa Adam
217310062
Deakin University, Burwood
CONCLUSION
 Overall it is to be concluded that we should encourage dingoes back into their natural habitat, as
they are more beneficial to the uprising increase of mesopredator and would hence become useful
in maintaining the ecological balance. They conserve the native animals and provide protection for
them against mesopredators.

CITATIONS/REFERENCES
SCOPUS:
 Allen, B.L., Engeman, R.M., Allen, L.R. (2011). Wild dogma: An examination of recent "evidence" for
dingo regulation of invasive mesopredator release in Australia. Current Zoology, 57, 568-583. doi:
https://doi.org/10.1093/czoolo/57.5.568
 Allen, B.L., Goullet, M., Allen, L.R., Lisle, A., Leung, L.K.-P. (2013). Dingoes at the doorstep:
Preliminary data on the ecology of dingoes in urban areas.
Landscape and Urban Planning, 119, 131-135. doi: http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy-
b.deakin.edu.au/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2013.07.008
 Marsack, P., and Campebell, G. ( 1990) Feeding-Behavior and Diet of Dingoes in the Nullarbor
Region, Western-Australia. Wildlife Research 17, 349-357. doi:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/WR9900349

PROQUEST BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE COLLECTION:

 Johnson, C. N., & VanDerWal, J. (2009). Evidence that dingoes limit abundance of a mesopredator
in eastern australian forests. Journal of Applied Ecology, 46, 641-646. doi:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2664.2009.01650.x
 Levy, S. (2009). The dingo dilemma. Bioscience, 59, 465-469. Retrieved from
http://ezproxy.deakin.edu.au/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/216478692?accounti
d=10445
 Wang, Y., & Fisher, D. O. (2012). Dingoes affect activity of feral cats, but do not exclude them from
the habitat of an endangered macropod. Wildlife Research, 39, 611-620. doi:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/WR11210

GOOGLE SCHOLAR:
 Allen, B.L., Fleming, P.J., Allen, L.R., Engeman, R.M., Ballard, G. and Leung, L.K.P. (2013). As clear as
mud: a critical review of evidence for the ecological roles of Australian dingoes. Biological
Conservation, 159, 158-174. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2012.12.004
 Claridge, A.W. and Hunt, R. (2008). Evaluating the role of the dingo as a trophic regulator:
additional practical suggestions. Ecological Management & Restoration, 9, 116-119. doi:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1442-8903.2008.00402.x
 Letnic, M., Greenville, A., Denny, E., Dickman, C.R., Tischler, M., Gordon, C. and Koch, F., 2011. Does
a top predator suppress the abundance of an invasive mesopredator at a continental scale? Global
Ecology and Biogeography, 20, 343-353. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1466-8238.2010.00600.x
 Nimmo, D.G., Watson, S.J., Forsyth, D.M. and Bradshaw, C.J., 2015. FORUM: dingoes can help
conserve wildlife and our methods can tell. Journal of applied ecology, 52, 281-285. doi:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.12369

GOOGLE:
 Dingoes. (2017). Department of Environment and Heritage Protection. Available
at: https://www.ehp.qld.gov.au/wildlife/livingwith/dingoes/