A collaborative project in the Coffs Harbour area is attempting to understand how vertebrate predators use this landscape by attaching tracking collars to wild dogs, feral cats and European red foxes.
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The collaboration between North Coast Local Land Services (LLS), NSW Department of Primary Industries, Office of Environment and Heritage, Forestry Corporation of NSW, Coffs Harbour City Council, Gumbaynggirr Green Teams and private landholders has revealed some interesting initial results.
A male wild dog dubbed “Midnight” which was initially caught in Ulidarra National Park west of Coffs Harbour became an interesting case.
Mark Robinson, Land Services Officer with North Coast LLS said “Midnight was caught at the end of March following three months in this area during which time the dog started travelling extensively.
Arriving in late June in the range behind Crossmaglen near Coffs Harbour, the dog then moved to Darkwood in the Bellinger catchment, across the Kalang through the Nambucca catchment, to the Macleay catchment past Bellbrook and up into the Carrai wilderness.
Last indications are that the dog travelled north through Cathedral Rocks National Park to Guy Fawkes National Park.
Dr Guy Ballard, NSW Department of Primary Industries, said “Most wild dogs in northeast range over areas between 5000 and 10000ha but a small proportion of the population make very large forays and one-way movements in excess of 100km in a week. “Such large movements show us that management of wild dogs must be planned and implemented over as large an area as possible involving neighbours and neighbouring land.”
Dean Chamberlain, Team Leader Invasive Species said the project was designed to achieve better wild dog management and particularly the peri-urban area, where interactions between wild dogs, domestic pets and people seems to be increasing.
Dean said, “The most effective approach for managing wild dogs brings together all land managers in a coordinated approach - wild dogs don’t respect human boundaries.”