Exmouth dog baiting deaths

We have just returned from Exmouth.
There are signs in the surrounding national parks warning of 1080 baiting

Collin did you report it to the RSPCA as there have been a number of other baiting incidents in WA that they are investigating the contact number is 1300 278 3589.

Exmouth has a wonderful community but one sicko is spoiling it for everyone. The people here raised the money for testing within hours. Just be really careful with your dogs around the caravan park and other areas which the police have more details about. The people who helped us (Karl and Johanna ) and the Vet Megan are wonderful.

I am sorry to hear of the loss of your dog Collin; very sad and should never happen. The perpetrator has committed a crime.

I am surprised that someone had Strychnine tablets, as we have not been able to get permits to purchase for quite some years. Permits now are for 1080 impregnated baits only.

I doubt you could obtain a permit to buy heroin either. These type of people don't worry about obeying the law.

The black market for drugs is huge but I doubt there would be much point into dealing in Strychnine.

If someone wants strychnine all they have to do is go and pick a big batch of gold top or blue meanie mushrooms.

They scrambled many a long haired leaping gnomes brains.

Broome and Derby are having issues as well apparently.

It's easy to emotively say ban it...do you have any suggestions for a replacment? Does the deaths of a few pets justify banning an effective method of controlling introduced feral predators decimating our wild life.

Talking about strychnine in these cases that will kill anything including people.

Witi Repartee ... there are other solutions.
The native dingo is a very effective natural control method for controlling introduced feral predators like cats, rabbits and foxes that decimate our wildlife especially small marsupials and birds.
Unfortunatley even 1080 won't eradicate some introduced pests like cane toads.
The ONLY reason our own natural top order predator is frowned upon is that they do attack the occasional lamb. However that is not a matter of whether they are an effective pest controller, that then becomes an issue of lost financial revenue for the grazier.
Still....what is the cost of baiting?
Colin clearly sees that by "cost" I refer to more than $$$.

Fab.

Fab,
one of the problems with dingoes is, if there is a pack they will kill many sheep (not just lambs) just for the fun of it.

I have seen 30 plus sheep dead and dying from single attacks. That is when the property owner goes after them.

With the abundance of cattle watering points say every 8 to 10k and the amount of dingo breakfast available they do get out of hand, some of the dingoes say their great,great, great and so on grandfathers have told them they have never had it so good, so go forth and multiply as there is breakfast lunch and tea for all of you.

Yeah it's not quite like that.
Dingoes are monogamous and only have one partner for life. They only go on heat once a year (unlike domestics). The average litter size is 5-6 of which 75% will die before their first birthday either through trapping, shooting, poisoning or natural causes. Out of the remaining number, unless the last one standing is a female, there is no chance of reproduction. They really do have it tough. Pure dingo numbers are at significantly low numbers.
The other point is...cast your mind back 250 years. There was never a "dingo problem" back then. Nor was their fox, rabbit or feral cat problems. There were more species of birds, lizards, marsupials and floral about. The problem is not with the native dingo, the problem is with the introduction of non-native species...... sheep being one of them.
Fab.

Fab,
yes it is sad that the pure dingo is becoming a thing of the past due to the mixing of domestic dog breeds.

Some of those breeds mixed with the cunning of the dingo create some a very nasty bits of work.

...and very unpredictable behaviour too.
I trust my Dina around my kids but I'd be very apprehensive about a Dingo X Bitsa.
Fab.

With its mouth?????

A dog on a leash can easily pick up a bait so quickly that the best owner could not stop it. I suspect your not a dog owner or surely you would know that. JMHO.

When travelling in unknown areas always keep a muzzle on your dog when out walking it.

W & S,
If you go back up the thread you will see Colin has clarified the poisonings.

Quote"The poison is thought to be strychnine" so it appears the baits were set on purpose.

They may catch the person and they may not but it looks like it has nothing to do with the 1080 program.

that grave at the back of victoria rock supports that dogs are domestic animals and have no place in the natural environment including the victoria rock nature reserve

1080 has done a heck of alot to protect native animals in that area and others
i suggest you go to the kalgoorlie visitor centre and see if they still have the fauna survey taken by the kalgoorlie naturalist club at victoria rocks and then maybe you will take another view

The act of laying strychnine baits in the vicinity of the caravan park is nothing but the act of a sick mind. My dog, Cabbie was on her lead in an area designated for dog walking as we're the other six or so dogs