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Communities Join Forces To Combat Wild Dogs

The spotlight was firmly on wild dogs at two community meetings in East Gippsland with more than 30 farmers gathering to exchange information about these predators.

By Department of Primary Industries - 1st July 2009 - Back to News

The meetings in Tubbut and Bendoc on June 16 and 17 were called to discuss wild dog activity and management on public and private land.

Department of Primary Industries (DPI) Community Engagement Officer, Vaughn Kingston, said the meetings brought together 33 farmers and representatives from DPI, Department of Sustainability and Environment and Parks Victoria.

"The meetings allowed us to swap information on control measures currently in place between private landholders, public land managers and organisations with significant landholdings such as plantations," Mr Kingston said.

"A number of proactive landholders provided useful facts about wild dog activity on their land, including what control measures had been established and other strategies they were planning."

The consensus from both meetings on the most effective way to manage wild dogs was under an agreed collective approach.

Mr Kingston said this idea means combined management techniques such as baiting, fencing, trapping and the use of guard animals can all be used to broader effect, rather than leaving individuals to battle the problem on their own.

"DPI has two wild dog controllers patrolling the Tubbut and Bendoc areas and Victorian Government agencies are running complementary baiting programs across public land.

"As part this strategy, DPI will increase baiting through spring and autumn to target young wild dogs when they are most susceptible.

"Landholders recognised the value of private land baiting and it was decided at the meetings that more baiting was needed.

"Local plantation owners have also agreed to undertake baiting operations on their properties.

"Over the next few months, we’re planning to run Agricultural Chemical User Permit training and wild dog field days to boost the skills of landholders.

"It’s really encouraging to have the community on board to help combat the complex problem of wild dogs."

For more information, please contact Vaughn Kingston, Community Engagement Officer - Wild Dogs on (03) 5152 0600.


Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com



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