Wilderness Society supports decision to list Dingo as threatened in Victoria

The Wilderness Society (Victoria) Inc
Media Release
24 October 2008
 
The Wilderness Society (TWS) today welcomed the decision by the Victorian Environment Minister, Gavin Jennings, to declare the Dingo threatened in Victoria following advice from the Government’s expert scientific committee.
 
Richard Hughes, TWS’s WildCountry project officer, said it was a strong and necessary step to protect the Dingo which is on the brink of extinction in Victoria.
 
“The Minister’s decision is a positive step towards saving the Dingo in Victoria, hopefully avoiding a similar fate to that of the Tasmanian Tiger,” he said.
 
“The Wilderness Society is highly supportive of the protection of the Dingo, which plays a critical role in the Australian ecosystems as a top predator.
 
“Top predators balance the environments in which they live – there is evidence that Dingos regulate kangaroo numbers and reduce cats and fox numbers thereby benefiting native vegetation and small native animals.”
 
Mr Hughes said The Wilderness Society was supportive of wild dog control in a manner that did not impact native species.
 
“We believe there’s a lot of common ground with farmers, and can agree on the need for a sensible plan to control wild dogs as a threat to both livestock and pure Dingos,” he said.
 
“Interbreeding with escaped domestic dogs is one of the greatest threats to pure dingos.
 
“We look forward to the development of an Action Statement for the species as the next step in the plan to protect Dingos in Victoria.”