Dingo trap and drag chain

This dingo trap was used by dogger Ned Wilson from the 1970s to the 1990s. During this time Wilson worked as a dogger for Aramac Shire Council, and for landowners in the Bowen Downs area. It is estimated he trapped and killed almost 5,000 wild dogs. Dingos arrived in Australia an estimated 5,000 years ago, coming from south-east Asia. They are thought to be a major contributing factor in the extinction of the thylacine, or Tasmanian tiger, on the mainland. Dingos are much more aggressive and stronger than the Thylacine was, and out-competed them for food. When the British colonised Australia in 1788, they soon began to think of dingos as a problem. Dingos began to attack the sheep that the British people brought with them, so the settlers shot, trapped, and later poisoned the dingos. Because of this hunting, dingos were forced out of south-east Australia. This trap has arched metal jaws and a circular metal place on top of the trigger. A length of chain with oblong links is attached.