Sensor-Based Detection of Predator Influence on Livestock: A Case Study Exploring the Impacts of Wild Dogs (Canis familiaris) on Rangeland Sheep
2022
Caitlin A. Evans | Mark G. Trotter | Jaime K. Manning
In Australia, wild dogs are one of the leading causes of sheep losses. A major problem with managing wild dogs in Australia&rsquo: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.
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