File:CSIRO ScienceImage 4312 Dingoes feeding on a cattle carcass.jpg

English: Before the advent of Europeans, dingoes probably ranged over most of mainland Australia. Although they have been eradicated from much of the open country in the south, they are still fairly common in sparsley populated areas over two-thirds of the country. After surviving more than 200 years of persecution from shooting, trapping and poisoning, the true-blue dingo is slowly disappearing due to a dilution of its native gene pool by inter-breeding with domestic dogs gone feral. Researchers believe that if cross-breeding continues, dingoes could reach extinction within 50 years.