IN A desperate plea for help in controlling wild dogs, a farmer in southern NSW has taken radical action.
Russell Murdoch, “Tea Tree Springs”, Khancoban, has thrown the carcases of his dead sheep – the latest victims of wild dog attacks – at the doorstep of the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) office.
Fed-up with the lack of action and funding from authorities, Mr Murdoch took the matter into his own hands to demonstrate his frustration when he dumped 11 first-cross lamb carcases at the Khancoban NPWS office last week.
Hoping his demonstration would prompt some action, Mr Murdoch, who farms with his wife Catriona, said the wild dog problem in the area had gradually become worse each year.
“When I first started farming here 30 years ago it was a novelty to see a dog, which were pure Dingoes then, now they are more hybrid wild dogs and numbers have increased two-fold,” Mr Murdoch said.
He has the evidence to prove it. Every month for the past 13 months Mr Murdoch has killed a wild dog on his property, which he said was only done opportunistically.
In the area last year 37 wild dogs were killed by Mr Murdoch and other trappers and Mr Murdoch lost 40 sheep.
Each attack cost the Murdochs lost income and animal health bills.
The latest attack equates to about $1000 in lost income from the lambs as they were, but they were potentially worth more as they grew.
Mr Murdoch also has nine lambs at home he is treating with antibiotics due to injuries sustained in the latest altercation.
Human safety was also of concern for Mr Murdoch who said most wild dogs he saw weighed more than 25 kilograms and were vicious.
“They are also becoming more daring as last year when Catriona was driving down the drive she saw one dog kill sheep at 2pm just 40 metres from the house”.
With five kilometres of their property bordering National Park land, Mr Murdoch has watched alarmingly as funding for wild dog control has diminished in recent years.
“We used to have two full-time dog men to control the area, then funding was cut so they started getting a trapper to respond reactively, but we need something done pro-actively before more stock are killed.”
Mr Murdoch said prior to the latest dog attack he had been reporting dog sightings for three weeks to the authorities, as he had been unsuccessful trapping or killing the dogs.
“I fulfil my obligation and report to the Livestock Health and Pest Authority (LHPA) any dog sightings or howling,” he said.
And according to the NPWS, they too were fulfilling their obligations before the latest attack as they were focusing wild dog control on another property and had sent letters to all Kosciuszko National Park neighbours advising of a more widespread control program being put in place.
Unfortunately the Murdochs didn’t receive the information or help before the wild dogs invaded.
NPWS regional manager for the southern ranges, Dave Darlington, said they had “absolute sympathy” for the Murdochs over their recent stock losses.
In response to reports of dog activity, the NPWS and the Hume LHPA had planned further trapping and baiting.
“In response to (last) Wednesday night’s attack, NPWS and the LHPA have inspected the property and will jointly undertake additional trapping to try to capture the dogs responsible for this attack,” Mr Darlington said.
Mr Murdoch noted by Monday a trapper was working in the area.
He maintains a long-term funding commitment from the government was crucial however.
