Researchers in Western Australia have discovered that 1080 baits laid for wild dogs are being eaten mostly by goannas that are resistant to the poison.

Preliminary results from Murdoch University and the Department of Agriculture and Food reveal that dogs rarely eat the 1080-injected dried meat baits, but non-target species do.

The research was carried out in the Meekatharra area of mid-west WA, where motion sensor cameras were set up in front of baits.

Murdoch University postdoctoral research fellow Tracey Kreplins said she and her colleagues had watched footage from about 200 sites, and would be doing another 100 in coming weeks.

"There's a lot of interference from non-targets taking baits, things like varanids [goannas], ravens, kangaroos, ants, and feral cats," Dr Kreplins said.

"There's a big seasonal effect. In summer the varanids are out and are very busy.

"Varanids can take quite a lot of the baits within 48 hours of them being placed, so the dogs aren't even getting a look-in."

Wild dogs look at baits then leave them

Dr Kreplins said when the varanids disappeared in winter, baits sat untouched for up to two months.

"No one's taking them. They're just sitting there, but still we haven't had many wild dogs at all take the baits," she said.

Dr Kreplins said researchers did not know why the dogs were not eating the baits.

"There's a lot of evidence that wild dogs are coming up to the baits and having a look, even rolling in the baits, but they're not taking them," she said.

"There's a few taking them — mostly younger dogs, not so much the older dogs — but I can't answer that yet."

Science backs up anecdotal evidence

Dr Kreplins said the findings backed up views held widely in the pastoral community that dogs did not take baits.

"We keep proving them right. We keep proving that the people on the land know what they're talking about," she said.

"I'm surprised at how quickly the baits go. Sometimes we were laying baits and you'd turn around and there was a varanid following you down the track, eating the baits as you were putting them out."

Dr Kreplins said the next step would be to trial the efficacy of canid pest ejectors (CPE).

"Only foxes and wild dogs have the power to pull off the bait head and eject the 1080 into their mouth," she said.

"If baits are disappearing to everything else but a wild dog, hopefully CPEs stop all that non-target interference and just target wild dogs."