Dingoes play vital role in protecting animals from feral cats in desert

Key points

• Dingoes in the Great Sandy Desert are hunting feral cats, according to a research project run by Nyangumarta rangers. Scat research over six months shows dingoes now get nearly 30 per cent of their diet from feral cats.
• Rangers say the cats are killing animals such as the greater bilby and desert mouse. A single feral cat can kill more than 700 small animals a year, according to WA's Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
• The Wartaji project, begun in 2022 with Central Queensland University, tracks dingo movements using cameras and satellite collars.