Orangeville farmer Eric Rudd says he would be out of business if he hadn’t joined a campaign to fight the scourge of wild dogs.
“It’s been about seven months since the last attack on my stock,” the sheep farmer said.
Mr Rudd is one of 30 local rural property owners who joined the wild dog baiting campaign coordinated by the Greater Sydney Local Land Services.
Landholders in The Oaks, Oakdale and Orangeville areas are taking part.
Mr Rudd says he couldn’t be happier with the results.
“The efforts of Greater Sydney Local Land Services, particularly senior biosecurity officer Lee Parker in training me to bait and helping monitor wild dog activity on my property has been second to none,” Mr Rudd said.
“Without the ongoing support I truly believe wild dogs would have put me out of business by now.”
Mr Rudd is urging other local landowners experiencing wild dog problems to seek help.
“This is a whole of community problem and it is up to us as landowners to do our bit, whether by doing the training to legally bait or by just reporting wild dog sightings,” he said.
Mr Parker said landholder participation as part of a regionally coordinated campaign was key to the success.
“This has been one of the best responses from a community that we’ve seen,’’ he said.
“The number of property owners involved is extensive and ranges from those on 20 hectare properties through to the owners of major horse stud,” Lee said.
Motion detection cameras play vital role
The campaign has also seen motion detection cameras installed in various properties in order to monitor wild dog movements and behavioural patterns.
“The use of this technology enables us to be strategic and more effective about our baiting and trapping techniques based on the animal’s movements,” Mr Parker said.
He said it was important residents reported any sightings of collarless dogs roaming in their areas.
“Even if you’re unsure whether it’s wild or not it’s important to call your local council and report the sighting,” he said.
For further information or advice phone 1300 795 299 or visit the Local Land Services website here.
