Victorian livestock producers in bushfire-ravaged areas are reporting more wild dog attacks after devastating fires destroyed critical infrastructure, such as exclusion fencing, leaving farm animals more vulnerable.
VFF Vice-President and north-east livestock farmer Peter Star warned that without urgent investment in predator management and farm infrastructure, livestock losses would continue to rise.
“These bushfires wiped out much of the infrastructure that was in place to help keep wild dogs away from livestock, and we’re now seeing more and more wild dog attacks on livestock as a result.”
“Wild dogs are coming out of the scorched hills seeking food, and without this separation infrastructure, they’ve got a free run at the vulnerable livestock on farms.”
“We urgently need help to repair the damage. Without it, these attacks place additional financial and emotional strain on farmers already recovering from fire damage,” Mr Star said.
The VFF is calling for:
- Rapid repair and rebuilding of exclusion fencing damaged by bushfires;
- Coordinated predator management programs across regions to reduce livestock predation;
- Coordinated predator management programs across regions to reduce livestock predation;
- Investment in research and on-ground support for sustainable feral dog control in agricultural areas.
“We need practical, evidence-based solutions that protect farms, livelihoods, and rural communities.”
“Managing feral dogs is about balancing ecosystems with farming realities, and ignoring the problem or focusing on debates over dingo purity will not stop livestock deaths or support rural communities.”
“Farmers are not debating whether dingoes are ‘pure’ or hybrids. The reality is their impact on agriculture is very real, and when livestock is unprotected, dingoes and feral dogs cause significant losses, particularly to sheep and young cattle,” Mr Star said.
Source: Agriculture Australia