September 7, 2016
A smartphone app and website that allows livestock producers and members of landholder groups to record sightings of wild dogs is looking for more users.
WildDogScan helps landholder groups determine the impact of wild dogs on their local area, as well as measure the effectiveness of control activities.
The app is part of the broader Feralscan program, which allows users to record information about 12 invasive animal species in their local area.
“Fourteen thousand Australians have used FeralScan and to date participants have recorded more than 3000 wild dog sightings and reported wild dog impacts at more than 1000 locations,” project manager Peter West said.
“Across Australia, 150 landholder and wild dog control groups are now using WildDogScan to plan control efforts and decide as a community how to best reduce wild dog problems.
“The program allows group members to update each other on wild dog activity with real time notifications, and there is now a new function enabling photos to be uploaded and shared between group members.”
Mark Tarrant, Team Leader for Invasive Species and Plant Health with Northern Tablelands Local Land Services, has been supporting the use of WildDogScan in his area.
“We have been working with landholder groups in recent months to use WildDogScan to help map the areas where wild dogs are causing problems for livestock producers.
“WildDogScan is a really important tool to help landholders get on top of the problem and make informed decisions on future wild dog management.
“We encourage all landholders who have wild dog problems to report sightings and activity in WildDogScan,” Mr Tarrant said.
Geoff Power, the chairperson of the National Wild Dog Action Plan stakeholder group, said wild dogs imposed substantial costs on cattle, sheep and goat industries in Australia.
Wild dogs also had a negative impact on at least 79 threatened native species.
“Having a farm-ready, practical, and easy-to-use tool for recording wild dog activity which can be used in the field without an internet connection is very useful for landholders and land managers,” Mr Power said.
WildDogScan is a landholder, community, industry, research and government collaboration led by the Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre and NSW Department of Primary Industries.
This week a new five-minute video tutorial was released which shows users how to use the WildDogScan website and smartphone app effectively.
The video was produced with funding from the National Wild Dog Action Plan.
- More information about WildDogScan is available at www.wilddogscan.org.au
- The FeralScan app, which contains WildDogScan, can be downloaded to a smartphone from iTunes and Google Play.
- The WildDogScan app tutorial can be viewed online
