LAND managers, livestock producers, pest controllers and community members are being encouraged to record sightings of wild dogs, their impacts and control activities for their local area.
With funding from the National Wild Dog Action Plan, a new five-minute video tutorial for the WildDogScan website and smartphone app has been produced to show users how to use the app effectively.
FeralScan project manager Peter West said WildDogScan was just one facet of the FeralScan program, which allows users to record information in their local area for 12 invasive animal species.
“14,000 Australians have used FeralScan and to date participants have recorded more than 3000 wild dog sightings and reported wild dog impacts at more than 1000 locations,” Mr West said.
Mr West said across Australia, 150 landholder and wild dog control groups were using WildDogScan to plan control efforts and decide how to best reduce wild dog problems as a community.
“The program allows group members to update each other on wild dog activity with real time notifications, and there is now a new function enabling photos to be uploaded and shared between group members,” Mr West said.
Mark Tarrant, team leader for Invasive Species and Plant Health with Northern Tablelands Local Land Services, has been supporting the use of WildDogScan in his area.
“We have been working with landholder groups in recent months to use WildDogScan to help map the areas where wild dogs are causing problems for livestock producers,” Mr Tarrant said.
“WildDogScan is a really important tool to help landholders get on top of the problem and make informed decisions on future wild dog management. We encourage all landholders who have wild dog problems to report sightings and activity in WildDogScan.”
Geoff Power, chairperson of the National Wild Dog Action Plan stakeholder group, said wild dogs impose substantial costs on cattle, sheep and goat industries in Australia and the social impact on communities and emotional distress of individuals due to wild dog attacks is just as significant. Wild dogs also have a negative impact on at least 79 threatened native species.
“Having a farm-ready, practical, and easy-to-use tool for recording wild dog activity, which can be used in the field without internet connection, is very useful for landholders and land managers.
“Peter West has made a real impact by visiting and teaching community and landholder groups how to use the program - it’s a positive move to have an online tutorial everyone can access, at any time.”
WildDogScan is a landholder, community, industry, research and government collaboration led by the Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre and NSW Department of Primary Industries.
CLICK HERE to view the WildDogScan app tutorial.
