Attitudes towards dingoes (Canis dingo) and their management: a case study from a mining operation in the Great Sandy Desert, Western Australia
Bradley P. Smith
A D , Anne-Louise Vague B and Robert G. Appleby C
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Central Queensland University, Appleton Institute, 44 Greenhill Road, Wayville, SA 5034, Australia.
B Newcrest Mining Limited, Telfer Environment, 1 Centro Avenue, Subiaco, WA 6008, Australia.
C Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith School of Environment, Griffith University, Nathan, Qld 4111, Australia.
D Corresponding author. Email: b.p.smith@cqu.edu.au.
Pacific Conservation Biology 25(3) 308-321 https://doi.org/10.1071/PC18049
Submitted: 31 May 2018 Accepted: 16 October 2018 Published: 9 November 2018
Abstract
This study provides insight into the attitudes and perceptions of people who live alongside dingoes in a remote Australian mining town. A mixed-methods, self-administered questionnaire was circulated, targeting employees across 11 departments (n = 160). Overall, employees saw dingoes favourably (60.5%), and believed that humans and dingoes should be able to coexist (75.8%). Dingoes were not considered to be causing unacceptable damage or to be overabundant, despite being seen almost daily at both the village and work sites. A total of 31.4% of employees had felt threatened or scared because of a dingo on more than one occasion, and 16.5% had experienced a dingo being aggressive towards them at least once. Yet, only 21.0% of employees considered dingoes dangerous to people, and few worried about their safety at the village or work site (9.5% and 11.4% respectively), or the safety of others in general (21.6%). There was a dichotomy of views regarding the dingo’s presence: employees were supportive of dingoes living in close proximity at the mine, as long as they were not directly being problematic (i.e. representing a personal threat, or causing property damage). Half of the employees surveyed (50.4%) felt that management decisions relating to dingoes were personally important to them, highlighting the need to ensure that employees are consulted, and that dingo management strategies are well communicated. These findings have implications for improving the success rates of management approaches to human–carnivore conflict at mine sites and other situations where predators are perceived to threaten human safety.
Additional keywords: conservation, feral dogs, mammals, public attitudes, social sciences, wildlife management.
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