Rural
9 November, 2026
High-tech approach to livestock, dingo protection
New drone technology is being trialled to help protect livestock in north-west Victoria, where farmers still face predation challenges while authorities work to conserve a threatened dingo population.
Agriculture Victoria announced the Dingo Drone Pilot Project on October 29, 2026, to investigate whether artificial intelligence and drone imagery can detect damage and breaches in livestock exclusion fencing.
The drone trial will examine technology that could support existing livestock protection initiatives, including the 70-kilometre Yanac Dingo Exclusion Fence Program along the Big Desert.
The region is home to a genetically distinct dingo population considered at risk of extinction, with research released in September 2026 estimating 122 animals in the Big Desert–Wyperfeld region in 2025.
Google Trends data shows Australian search interest in ‘predator control’ has fluctuated over the past five years, with more frequent peaks during 2025 and 2026, while ‘livestock protection’ recorded occasional spikes in 2026.
However, a separate Google Trends comparison shows a sharp increase in Australian search interest during 2026 in a topic labelled ‘Canis lupus dingo’, although the selected topic is categorised as ‘Wolf’ and does not specifically measure interest in Mallee dingoes.
Before March 2024, an unprotection order allowed lethal control of dingoes in specified circumstances in north-west Victoria, despite their classification as a vulnerable species.
The Victorian Government ended the dingo unprotection order in north-west Victoria on March 14, 2024, citing scientific research and concerns about the local population's risk of extinction.
The State government subsequently committed funding to non-lethal livestock protection measures, including exclusion fencing, livestock guardian animal trials and monitoring initiatives.
Farmers in north-west Victoria can access information and participate in relevant government-supported livestock protection initiatives, including fencing trials, livestock guardian animal pilots and camera monitoring projects, subject to program arrangements.
The new drone trial offers another approach to managing livestock predation while protecting the region's threatened dingo population.
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