Stable dingo population structure and purity over 11 years of lethal management

Interactions between predators and humans are a key driver of
human-wildlife conflicts and can underpin the management of predator
populations. Management of the impacts of dingoes (Canis familiaris) on
livestock and native species is a prime example of a persistent and
contentious predator management issue with potential impacts on the
integrity of dingo populations. To manage the potential impacts of dingoes
and their control, it is imperative to understand the effects of control
approaches on their populations in the short and long term. Hybridisation
of dingoes with domestic dogs (C. familiaris) threatens the genetic
integrity of pure dingoes. It has been hypothesised that lethal control of
dingoes can facilitate hybridisation by disrupting pack social structures
leading to increased dingo-domestic dog interactions. Here we use dingo
genetic samples from three distinct sampling periods: 2009, 2014, and
2020, within the Murchison Regional Vermin Cell (MRVC) area in Western
Australia (WA). At the time of the study, the MRVC was a large,
partially-fenced area in which dingo control has been performed for many
decades. We assess dingo purity, population clustering, gene flow, and
individual relatedness in the context of ongoing control. We identified
three genetically distinct populations in the study area, consistent with
previous genetic studies of WA, but did not find any evidence of change in
dingo purity or population characteristics, however barrier fencing may be
influencing recent gene flow. Policy implications: The metapopulation of
dingoes in the southern rangelands of WA appears to be stable over the 11
years assessed here and there is no evidence that lethal control to reduce
losses to livestock production and for conservation of native wildlife is
putting dingo purity at risk. Fencing appears to be an effective
management tool as there is some evidence it is separating dingo
populations in areas where the fences are well maintained.