CAMERAS fitted with sophisticated facial recognition software are the latest weapons in the fight against wild dog attacks.
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Packs of feral canines roaming the countryside are estimated to cost the meat and livestock industry a staggering $66 million a year.
But a new alert system, developed by Invasive Animals CRC, University of New England (UNE) and NSW Department of Primary Industries, could turn the tables.
The early warning system works by detecting the presence of wild dogs on a property and sending an alert containing the time and location to the farmer’s phone.
The hope is that primary producers armed with that information can move to eradicate the pests before they can attack livestock or spread diseases.
Federal Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce travelled to Walcha yesterday to announce a grant of $1 million for the innovative program.
“Once wild dogs invade a farm, it can sometimes be several days before they begin to attack livestock,” he said.
“An early warning system will help farmers have first-strike capability in their fight against wild dogs, so they can be proactive and put in place immediate and targeted management strategies.”
Dr Greg Falzon, lecturer in computational science at UNE, said the team had been working on the project for about three years.
He said the government’s grant, as well as financial support from the Australian Wool Industry and Meat and Livestock Australia, would enable field testing.
As part of the project, wild dogs will be captured and fitted with global positioning systems to track their movement and behaviour.