| Prior to settlement,
it is thought that Aborigines kept the dingo for at least
4000 years, thus making it one of the world's first domesticated
dogs. Since Europeans arrived in Australia, the dingo has
been facing the ever-increasing threat of extinction.
The dingo has cruelly suffered at the hands of farmers, namely
through the use of shooting, poisons and traps, local hanging
trees bear witness to this fact while land clearing associated
with farming enterprises and urban population sprawl has gradually
destroyed their habitat including natural food resources.
The purebred Fraser Island dingoes also have had to contend
with inappropriate island management policies and growing
numbers of tourists' i.e. in 1991 the island had 100,000 visitors.
Now these animals, thought to be the purest in the world,
are being deliberately culled (a euphemism for killing). Why
are they attacking?
The author believes one possible reason is that QPWS has implemented
policies which allow more than 400 000 tourists a year to
travel all over the island, impacting up to 100% of the land
mass, thus destroying much of their habitat and historical
natural food sources in the process. Dingoes are no longer
able live free and wild or to fish the schooling fish due
to these constant habitat impacts while recently-created recreational
laws prohibit fishermen from dumping fish offal waste (another
vital natural historical food source). Added to this is the
decision for brumbies (a high protein food source laced with
vitamins, minerals and trace elements) to be shot or taken
off the island while tourists have also been prohibited from
feeding the dingo.
Further pressure has been placed on the sparse food resources
available to the dingo due to the closing of six open fill
land dumps which were heavily accessed by crows. Initially,
the dumps were replaced by over twenty industrial bins all
over the island, thus leading to an influx of crows (Australian
raven) by dividing into twenty breeding flocks which have,
in turn, become major competitors for scraps (particularly
for juvenile dingoes). This action has forced the dingo into
the arms of conflict with visitors and now the dingo steals
a sausage (or two), steaks, fish groceries or anything edible.
If caught by rangers, the animal risks death and the odds
are definitely not in its favour as current management has
killed 105 + animals to date, a figure set to rise. The punishment
for visitors caught feeding the dingo is a $225.00 on-the-spot-fine
or greater.
For thousands of years, dingoes were highly regarded companions
in Aboriginal camps. They were fed amongst families and trusted
to roam freely throughout camp with no sign of aggression
whatsoever but now, with ever-decreasing areas to live in
(the so called wild) and food to eat, the dingo is suffering
and desperate. No-one seems to know where their next meal
is coming from.
Our pure bred dingo the purest in the world is considered
by some to be an outlaw in paradise his traditional home.
Europeans created these problems and declared the dingo a
pest animal whilst replacing it with foreign ungulates (cattle
and sheep) it is up to us to seek alternative environmentally
friendly solutions to solve our created problem. Surely, this
dog is worthy of much more. At the very least, it deserves
recognition as a national treasure, a title enjoyed by the
Korean Jindo dog (another early dog believed to be a close
ancestor). As such, surely we can again live in harmony with
this fine animal, as we did prior to 1991.
Fraser Island has no agricultural enterprises and houses the
purest strain known of native dogs in the world. Hopefully,
there is still time to halt the decline, reverse management
policies for the 100% conservation of the purebred dingo population
and protect those individuals that still remain as proud representatives
of a valuable ancient breed.
Activities
Geography
 Investigate a map
of Fraser Island and identify how much area is open to tourists
and settlement then work out how much has been left untouched.
Investigate the
impact of tourism on Fraser Island, particularly the use of
four wheel drive vehicles.
Identify and compile
a list of some of the historical native food sources of the
Fraser Island dingo before QPWS takeover in 1991.
Explain the impact
of poisons (such as strychnine or 1080) on the environment
and if there are environmentally friendly alternatives
Using a map of
map of Fraser Island, identify (using co-ordinates) major
tourist sights, accommodation locations and areas of major
activity
SOSE
Identify the food
chain of the dingo and discuss the impact of tourism on this
(especially specific aspects such as four wheel drive vehicles
and other damaging property/practices)
Study the Fraser
Island management policies and identify their strengths and
weaknesses, then discuss how they could be improved
History
Research the dingoes'
lineage and explain its association with the Aborigines
Research the effects
of white settlement on Fraser Island then predict the effects
that current practices will have on the Island and its animals
fifty years from now.
Science
Research the dingoes'
lifespan and their hierarchy and relationship with each other
Identify the current
food sources available to the dingo, under the new management
of the QPWS
Identify where
the next meal coming from?
Compile a list
of impacted animals and or birds affected currently by their
strategies
Language
Write a poem about
the dingo
Create your own
find-a-word based on the dingo and Fraser Island themes
Play a game of
match-up using pictures of dingo/Fraser Island subjects on
one set of cards and corresponding words on another set
Play a game of
hangman using dingo/Fraser Island words
Write a letter
of complaint to the appropriate government departments about
the major problems on Fraser Island, especially the management
of the dingo population, then outline some of the methods
of resolution that you think could be applied
Create a set of
interview questions for the major parties involved with Fraser
Island and its management (aboriginal, tourist, ranger)
With students taking
on the roles of aboriginal, tourist and ranger, conduct class
interviews using the questions previously created
Art/Craft
Create a diorama
(3D scene) of the dingo in its environment, complete with
some of its food sources
Research the popularity
of the dingo in Aboriginal art and identify where such images
might occur
After tracing the
basic outline of the Fraser Island map, create your own Paradise
map (including a key) which depicts Fraser Island as you would
like to see it
Dance/Drama
Research aboriginal
dances to see whether any include the dingo. Try creating
and performing some dances of your own
Maths
Collect the statistics
on dingo deaths before and after QPWS management. How many
died prior 1991? How many died after 1991? Compare these figures
to their natural death rate.
How many tourists
visited before the QPWS took over in 1991?
How many tourists
visited after the QPWS takeover?
What percentage
of increase in tourists was there?
If former timber
getting impacted around 0.03% of the landmass prior 1991,
what percentage of landmass was affected by tourism under
the QPWS?
Create and play
your own board game (based on Snakes and Ladders) based on
QPWS management policies (eg. Throw the dice and land on a
square which says "You fed a dingo" which immediately leads
down a ladder; throw the dice and land on a square which says
"You have correctly stored your food in camp" which leads
up a ladder)
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