Abstract
Simple SummarySheep predation by wild dogs has serious production and animal welfare implications. By monitoring changes in the behaviour of sheep, on-animal sensors are an option for detecting wild dogs and alerting producers to their presence. This study identified differences in the daily distance travelled of sheep when in the presence and absence of a wild dog and highlights the potential for on-animal sensors to be used as a monitoring and management tool for wild dog detection.In Australia, wild dogs are one of the leading causes of sheep losses. A major problem with managing wild dogs in Australia’s rangeland environments is that sheep producers are often unaware of their presence until injuries or deaths are observed. One option for earlier detection of wild dogs is on-animal sensors, such as Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking collars, to detect changes in the behaviour of sheep due to the presence of wild dogs. The current study used spatio-temporal data, derived from GPS tracking collars, deployed on sheep from a single rangeland property to determine if there were differences in the behaviour of sheep when in the presence, or absence, of a wild dog. Results indicated that the presence of a wild dog influenced the daily behaviours of sheep by increasing the daily distance travelled. Differences in sheep diurnal activity were also observed during periods where a wild dog was present or absent on the property. These results highlight the potential for on-animal sensors to be used as a monitoring tool for sheep flocks directly impacted by wild dogs, although further work is needed to determine the applicability of these results to other sheep production regions of Australia.
Highlights
Australian sheep producers have struggled with stock loss due to predation from as early on as the 1890s [1]
When exposed to a threat, the most common response of sheep is to flee, and sheep flocks have been reported to respond earlier to a threat than solitary animals [35]. This is likely due to increased vigilance as a result of an increase in animal numbers [36] and the strong flocking and synchronisation instinct that sheep possess [37,38] as a form of protection. Due to this innate flock-based movement of sheep and the flock-related behaviours identified in previous research [22], the current study focused on identifying changes in the behaviour of the flock when a wild dog was present on the property, rather than changes of individual animals
The intent was to determine if the presence of a predator, such as a wild dog, impacted the behaviour of rangeland sheep in a way that could be detected by on-animal sensors for use as a future early alert and warning of wild dog presence
Summary
Australian sheep producers have struggled with stock loss due to predation from as early on as the 1890s [1]. Wild dog predation has been estimated to cost the Australian lamb and wool industries between AUD 21.85 million [7] and AUD 26.78 million per year [8], and the increasing losses associated with wild dogs have forced many producers to leave these industries in regions prone to high wild dog numbers [9]. In addition to the economic and production impacts of wild dog predation, there are severe animal welfare concerns, with the likelihood of injuries sustained during these attacks remaining undetected by producers for extended periods due to the extensive nature of sheep properties in Australia and infrequent monitoring [10,11]. The severity and frequency of wild dog attacks in some areas can take an emotional toll on producers and lead to social implications, such as psychological distress and financial stress [12] that are often overlooked [13]
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