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AN ANTIDOTE is the major benefit of a new poison to deal with wild dogs and foxes to be released by the end of the year.
The para-aminopropiophenone (PAPP) bait, which has been a joint effort between the Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre (IA CRC), Australian Wool Innovation (AWI) and Animal Control Technologies Australia (ACTA), is ideal for landholders who are concerned about using 1080 poison.
And according to Local Land Services team leader of invasive species and plant health Tim Seears, it is a more humane option.
“The PAPP bait changes haemoglobin to methaemoglobin, which can’t carry oxygen in the blood,” he said.
“It is more humane because they just become lethargic, and then just lay down.”
The poison comes in manufactured baits, but according to IA CRC wild dog facilitator Greg Misfud, its purpose is not to replace 1080 baits.
“It is a complimentary tool,” he said.
Mr Misfud said the beauty of the PAPP bait was that there was an antidote in case a working dog or pet accidentally ate one of the baits.
“Owners need to recognise symptoms, and get the animal to the vet within 30 or 40 minutes,” he said.
NSW Farmers Western NSW wild dog coordinator Bruce Duncan said PAPP baits could be used closer to urban areas because of the use of the antidote.
But Mr Duncan, who runs wild dog management and training programs, said landholders needed to be careful where they placed PAPP baits because, unlike 1080 baits, they could kill non-target native species such as quolls and goannas.
Mr Duncan, who is based in Dubbo, said there was more landholders becoming involved in wild dog control groups.
Mr Duncan said DNA testing was being used to track dog movements, as well as finding out the purity of the animals and their relation to other dogs.
He said the key to managing wild dog populations was encouraging landholders to report dog sightings.
This was echoed by White Cliffs farmer Richard Wilson, who said controlling wild dogs had to be a group effort.
Mr Wilson, who runs around 12,000 Merino breeding ewes and 300 breeding cows on his 120,000-hectare “Yalda Downs” property, said wild dogs were a growing problem.
He said landholders don’t often know exactly how many animals were killed by wild dogs, but that some mustered sheep had wounds from dog attacks.
“I’m sure the dogs do damage, and unless everyone comes together, it will get worse and worse,” he said.
