Dingoes

Dingoes are believed to have been introduced into Australia by Aboriginal peoples between 4,600 and 18,300 thousand years ago and may have come from ancient domestic dogs in East Asia.  The dingo's status as a native or introduced species in Australia has been a controversy.  According to Miike Letnic of the University of New South Wales, the dingo, as Australia's top predator, has an important role in maintaining the balance of nature.  Where dingoes had been excluded by the fence dingo fence, Letnic found reduced biodiversity, with fewer native mammals.   Wikipedia.

There are no dingoes in Tasmania.

A few facts about Dingoes, they do not bark like a dog but howl, chortle, yelp, whine, growl, chatter, snort, cough and purr.

They have a broad diet including fresh meat, fish, eggs and carrion.

They have a strict social hierarchy and regularly mate for life.

Their breeding cycle, March to June.

They bite humans sometimes and have been known to take babies.

These photos are borrowed.  I have photos of dingoes, but they are not as good as these.

The Dingo Fence.

The Dingo Fence

It's hard to believe that Australia has the longest fence in the world, the Dingo Fence and it's 5,614km long, 15 km from Coober Pedy.  It was built in 1885 to protect the sheep in the southern states of Australia by keeping out dingoes and other wild dogs.

The idea for the dingo proof fence emerged in the late 19th century, with the first rabbit-proof fences being built in the 1860's and 1870's to protect crops from the introduced rabbit populations.

The construction of the fence began in the 1940's with the idea of joining existing fences creating a continuous barrier which goes through 3 States of Australia.  Queensland, New South Wales and South Australia.  

The fence is 180 cm or 6ft high and of wire mesh.

While designed to protect livestock, the fence has had significant impacts on native wildlife, including increased kangaroo populations inside the fence due to the lack of dingo predation.  There are still ongoing debates regarding the fence.