Sensor-Based Detection of Predator Influence on Livestock: A Case Study Exploring the Impacts of Wild Dogs (Canis familiaris) on Rangeland Sheep

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Sheep 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. ABSTRACT: 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.