IMPACT | Episode 9 | Inflatable wavey people could solve dingo problem

The wavey, inflatable people often used to attract the attention of customers to businesses like used car yards have found a new use in dingo management in Australia. The CQUniversity study showed that oversized, inflatable human effigies, which researchers have since dubbed ‘Fred-a-scare’, could deter captive dingoes from accessing food, providing some hope that dingoes and humans can coexist successfully without resorting to lethal management techniques. Lead researcher Dr Bradley Smith talks about the potential impact of this quirky research for livestock producers, campgrounds and mining operations. This is the ninth episode of CQUniversity’s podcast series: IMPACT, exploring groundbreaking research projects and their real-world impacts.