Monthly Archives: June 2011

Image: Snapper's Pics

In today’s Advertiser Liberal MP for Stuart, Mr Dan van Holst Pellekaan, is calling for the introduction of a $200-a-head bounty for dingos.

The article by Mr Greg Kelton goes on to say that the State Government is unlikely to support such a move with:

Environment Department chief executive Allan Holmes saying four major studies on bounty systems in Australia had concluded they were flawed.

That’s a relief! What was lacking from this article, and possibly the broader debate over dingo population, is a humane alternative.

Until very recently, I was unaware that llama’s can be successfully used to guard livestock. They have been used across the United States and Europe, and more recently in Australia (especially in South Eastern New South Wales in the last five years). In fact, according to the 4^th NSW Pest Animal Control Conference held in 2008, the use of llamas as livestock guarding animals to protect sheep from wild dog attacks (including dingos) has been successful, resulting in:

“…significant reductions in stock loss from wild dog attacks along with a marked increase in lambing rates.”(1)

Similar findings have been reported by wild dog management groups, which note a decrease in the number of wild dog attacks when llamas are used to guard sheep.(2) Finally, according to research by Iowa State University

“Guard llamas offer a viable, non-lethal alternative for reducing predation, while requiring little specialized training and care.”(3)

In light of the supporting research, we need a team of elite guarding llamas to humanely protect livestock from dingo attack, not a $200 bounty.

On the look out for trouble!!