Binder Park Zoo Welcomes Dingos

Just in time for The Great ZooBoo, Binder Park Zoo welcomes two new arrivals.

According to Binder Park Zoo, "Visitors to the park will be able to check out a new pair of dingoes recently introduced to the Zoo.  The pair, a male named Yengo and female named Airlie, both are nearly 3 years old and arrived from the Ft. Wayne Children’s Zoo.  They are now on exhibit during the Great ZooBoo happening each evening Wednesday-Sunday now through October 30th.

While commonly thought to have originated in Asia, the dingo actually arrived in Australia some 4,000-5,000 years ago, brought over on boats by seafarers.  It is thought that the dingo may be the world’s oldest dog breed but dingoes may actually be more closely related to the Asiatic wolf.  Scientists speculate that these semi-domesticated animals returned to a wild lifestyle when introduced to Australia, though some were domesticated again by aboriginal people.

There are an estimated 200,000 dingoes in Australia but of that number only about 20% are the pure breed dingoes. Most of the population is interbred with domesticated dogs. The dingoes on exhibit at Binder Park Zoo are a rare Alpine breed, which is one of the purest breeds remaining.  In some parts of Australia they are listed as endangered, but not all consider this to be of great concern.  There is a lot of controversy surrounding the dingo in Australia because of the great conflict between the dogs and ranchers.   Many, whose livelihood is affected by the dingo, wish to exterminate them from the wild.  In southern Australia there is a fence that is 3,000 miles long called the Dingo Fence. For now, this barricade and killing the dingo is the method of choice for controlling the dingo populations.  But scientists are trying to change that conception by exposing the importance the dingo actually plays in the environment."

“The dingo has been the top predator in Australia since the Tasmanian wolf went extinct,” states Jenny Barnett, Binder Park Zoo Director of Wildlife Management and Conservation.  “Dingoes help to control populations of rabbits, feral cats, foxes and even kangaroos.  Without this natural predator/prey relationship, the mammal population would grow out of control causing more problems for farmers and the environment.”

The dingo is a fascinating species and while they may look like the average pet they are very far from being like the domestic dog.  Dingoes have the ability to turn their head from both sides nearly 180 degrees, paired with their incredible hearing, sense of smell, eye sight and strength the dingo is a trained and skilled hunter.   They are also an intelligent species and can utilize their unique double-jointed paws and wrists to maneuver through tight fences to snatch an egg or even open a door.  The dingo can be several different shades of color but are predominantly red and tan with about 10% being black and only 1% of the Alpine Dingoes that are white.

Photos: Yengo is the male (darker fur) and Airlie is the girl (lighter in color). They are brother and sister.