Queensland shuts down 'inhumane' goat cull using poisoned dingoes

Environment minister orders all dingoes to be removed from Pelorus Island, where they had been introduced to kill goats

Australian Associated Press

Thursday 18 August 201604.02 BST

An “inhumane” program that used surgically sterilised dingoes as a form of pest control for goats on a far north Queensland island has been shut down by the state government.

The Hinchinbrook shire council had decided to release dogs implanted with time-delayed poison pellets on Pelorus Island, north of Townsville, to kill baby goats as a form of pest control.

The plan was slammed by the RSPCA and community groups as “outright” animal cruelty.

The Queensland environment minister, Steven Miles, on Thursday issued conservation orders to shut down the program and remove all dingoes from the island within 14 days.

Miles said that in the 1990s a similar plan saw dingoes released on Townshend Island but it later caused problems for native birds.

“Pelorus Island currently has no significant predators to the birds on the island,” he said.

Bird species on the island included a threatened species of ground-dwelling shorebird, the beach stone curlew.

The minister also said while some Liberal National party members had contacted him concerned about the “horrendous” plan, the Hinchinbrook MP, Andrew Cripps, declared his support.

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Loch Lomond goat cull: Sanctuary offers to re-house animals and update

An animal sanctuary has offered to re-home feral goats from the eastern shore of Loch Lomond to prevent them being culled.

Hillside Animal Sanctuary urged RSPB Scotland to halt the cull, which is being carried out to protect Pollochro Woods.

The area is viewed as a site of special scientific importance.

RSPB Scotland said it would consider alternatives solutions in March, but that the cull will continue until then.

Continued

SCOTTISH NATURE NOTES

Challenges of habitat management update

29 Nov 2013 12:47 PM 

Recently there has been some coverage about goats at our Inversnaid Reserve. Our previous blog explained the specialness of the reserve and the reasons that we need to control the goats at the site.

In the past 2 days we have been alerted to the suggestion that we have rejected an offer from an animal sanctuary in Norfolk to provide a home for the goats of Inversnaid. This is not the case. In the past 24 hours we have been in contact with Scotland for Animals, who have identified themselves as the organisation that set up the offer from the Norfolk animal sanctuary and we will be meeting with them shortly to discuss options.

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