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 ...