Students go to the wild dogs

A new university course, on offer for the first time this year, has taken students into the bush to get the lowdown on tracking, trapping and monitoring wild dogs.
NSW Department of Primary Industries (NSW DPI) research scientist, Guy Ballard, said the Wild
Dog Ecology Unit developed by NSW DPI and University of New England (UNE)
senior lecturer, Dr Wendy Brown, explored real-life experiences in managing wild dogs.
“Recently we ran an intensive four-day residential school where many of the 12 students came in close contact with wild dogs for the first time in their lives,” Dr Ballard said.
“Experiences in the field help them develop a better understanding of the importance of and difficulties in balancing management and conservation objectives.
“The practical components of the course, where students learn how to read wild dog prints and track the animals, are important parts of wild dog management.
“These students saw the damage wild dogs can do and were able to trap a wild dog and fit a GPS tracking collar.”
It wasn’t just a classroom activity – the dog they collared will now be monitored as part of the current New England Livestock Health and Pest Authority aerial baiting program.
Dr Ballard said the new unit was offered to third-year undergraduates and post-graduate students who were studying for degrees in zoology, science and environmental management.
“We’re very pleased that this joint initiative of UNE and NSW DPI is delivering practical skills to the students and adding valuable input to our research into wild dog management,” he said.
“Hands-on experiences like this help students to focus objectively on the different roles wild dogs have in Australia – as significant pests and as the target of conservation programs.”