The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development is trialling non-lethal deterrents to manage wild dogs.
‘Squawkers’ and ‘howlers’, which use motion-activated speakers and flashing lights, have been deployed in and around fenced areas to deter dogs from entering livestock production areas.
Research Scientist at the Department, Tracey Kreplins said squawker technology, also referred to as ‘dingo beepers’, had never been scientifically tested for its effectiveness.
“We have been trialling squawkers in the cell fencing areas since February 2019 with some success, so we began the trial along the State Barrier Fence in 2020,” Dr Kreplins said.
“To complement squawkers, we also decided to trial another auditory deterrent, the ‘howler’, which we developed after discussions with industry and other scientists.”
She said both squawkers and howlers make loud noises to scare wild dogs and had been positioned in areas under pressure of wild dog incursions.
“So far our research shows these techniques work best on a small scale,” Dr Kreplins said.
“In WA, the pastoral and farming properties are very large and the most effective methods of managing wild dogs are the current range of traditional management tools, including baiting, trapping, shooting and fencing that work at the landscape scale.”
However, she said it was important to continue investigating and developing alternative management techniques to promote integrated pest control.
