Dr. Alan Wilton (1953-2011) Prominent Australian Geneticist, Assoc. Professor of the School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences at the University of NSW. Dr. Wilton devoted much of his academic life in studying the ancestry and significance of the dingo in Australia.
“ The dingo is possibly the oldest breed of dog in the world.”
“ The pure dingo in Australia could be extinct within 50 years.”
“ Born 2008 destroyed 2011.”
“..they are the only australian native classed as vermin, how sad that such a noble and loving companion is now regarded as a pest, it is not just cruel but a betrayal of the highest order” Unknown.
“Dingoes have been held in a time capsule since they were brought to Australia 5,000 years ago and since then have been running around the continent,” The Times.
The last pure Dingo populations remaining in coastal Australia are probably in the national parks between the Great Dividing Range and the east coast, and on Fraser Island.” Qld Museum.
The situation was disgusting and an International disgrace. 70% of the 100 to 120 dogs left on the Island were malnourished, the population could be wiped out within years.” Ray Revill. Former Island Ranger.
The Fraser Island Dingo.
CONTACT SFID: mkrail@bigpond.net.au
Ph: 07 4124 1979
Fraser Island (K’gari) lies off the coast of Queensland, Australia, approx. 200k (120miles) north of Brisbane. It is the largest sand Island in the world. In 1992 it was World Heritage listed by UNESCO because of its natural beauty and unique flora and fauna. The apex predator on the Island is the dingo (canis lupus dingo) and may well be one of the last pure strains of dingo remaining in Australia. The conservation of this gene pool is of national significance.
The dingo, a sub-species of the Asian Wolf, arrived in Australia between 4,000 and 18,000 years ago (Dr. Alan Wilton, Geneticist.) and under the Nature Conservation Act 1992 is declared indigenous and classed as native wildlife. The Act also provides for the legal protection of the dingo as a “natural resource” in protected areas, such as Fraser Island.
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, the dingo is listed as “vulnerable” and is considered to be facing a high risk of extinction in the wild. In the State of Victoria it is listed as “threatened” under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988. Despite this, it is the only native species to be declared a pest throughout much of Australia, only protected in certain areas, such as National Parks.
On Fraser Island evidence suggests that a vast percentage of the dingo population has been decimated. This is due to:
Destruction of many juveniles by shooting and Lethal Injection, which causes a breakdown in the dingoes social structure.
Aversive conditioning, i.e. hazing with slingshots, limiting their ability to hunt and restricting territory.
Vehicle strikes as a result of excessive vehicular activity.
Loss of prey species and the removal of food sources.
Continued interference by Qld. National Parks in an attempt to drive the animals away from habitation and into a “wild” state that never existed on Fraser Island. This has caused a change in behaviour by these once shy and timid animals bringing them into ever increasing conflict with visitors.
The fate of the Fraser Island Dingo depends on public support, by “working together” we intend to ensure the survival of this iconic species and re-establish the natural balance of their Island home..
