Yarra Valley wild dog attacks: 13 sheep killed in Dixon’s Creek
They sneak out of the state forests across the Yarra Ranges and indiscriminately kill and mutilate defenceless sheep. And locals are worried a State Government-sanctioned deer cull could lead to more wild dog attacks. Warning: disturbing images.
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Wild dogs are skulking out of the state forest to attack farmer’s livestock across the Yarra Valley.
More than a dozen pregnant or lambing ewes have been slaughtered on Dixon’s Creek farmer Ian Fossey’s property in the past two years, with these wild beasts the suspected villain.
And the Yarra Valley man is pleading for the State Government to help.
Mr Fossey has a more than 42ha property in an isolated area of Dixon’s Creek, next to Paul’s Range — part of the Toolangi State Forest.
“We have mob of sheep that fluctuates between 50 to 100,” he said.
“We’ve previously had issues after lambing and even prior to lambing with pregnant ewes taken.
“They kill the animal and just leave them — that’s why we know it’s dogs, because it’s just for the kill.”
He said foxes tend to take the soft meat — ears, nose, eyes — while wild dogs tear the defenceless animal’s throat out or even rip its stomach.
“It’s depressing. Every time you go out you’re picking up a dead animal and it gets on top of you,” Mr Fossey said.
“What I have pleaded for is some help.”
He said the State Government had a baiting and trapping program in place throughout parts of the state forest but did not include Paul’s Range, effectively funnelling the predators onto his property.
“It’s feeding them straight down to me,” he said.
“I just want them (the department) to extend the boundaries of their program to Paul’s Range.”
Mr Fossey said while he does his own baiting, it was not as effective as the Government’s trapping program.
He said he already had some electric fences but installing more was an expensive outlay and not viable, while shooting dogs was difficult because they’re “sneaky”.
In a video last week, Eildon state Liberal MP Cindy McLeish publicised the issue and said wild dogs were a problem from Dixon’s Creek to Wesburn and across the hills in Warburton.
She said while the dogs were more frequent in the north of the state, around Mansfield, when the snow starts, the dogs come down in search of food and head to the city outskirts.
“It’s easier to get a sheep than a deer,” Ms McLeish said.
“Because there is no baiting program for wild dogs around here land owners are left in the lurch.”
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In documents seen by Leader, plans for a State Government-sanctioned deer cull on nearby Haining Farm include leaving the dead animals where they have been shot, with stomachs cut open to “speed up decay”.
But Ms McLeish said locals were concerned this would only attract the wild dogs to the area and encourage the predators to hang around and feast on their stock.
Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning Invasive Species Programs manager Peter Austin said there had not been any recent reports of wild dog activity in Yarra Ranges.
“DELWP has 16 zones across the state where ongoing management of wild dogs occur, however we will consider trapping and baiting options when we receive reports of impacts of wild dogs on livestock,” Mr Austin said.
“You can report wild dogs in the Yarra Ranges via 0429 401 217 or email: wayne.peters@delwp.vic.gov.au.”