A Special Memory of Dingoes

This was an extraordinary moment for me I will never forget. The dingoes in these photos were pups born in 1996 at the Merigal Dingo Sanctuary. 

At the time the sanctuary was only breeding stock for other sanctuaries and zoos. This litter of three girls (Keli, Mirri, and Narra) was selected by Western Plains Zoo, Dubbo for the new Dingo enclosure.

I had spent a lot of time with these pups and had the pleasure of being at the sanctuary when their handlers came to collect them.

Two years later, while attending a conference in Dubbo, I contacted the zoo and asked if I could visit the now adult Dingoes. 

I was made very welcome by the staff, taken behind the enclosures, and let in through a back gate. To my complete delight, they remembered me and jumped all over me. It was a moment I will never forget. 

 

This experience would not have been possible without the encouragement and trust Berenice Walters had in my interactions with the dingoes.

My time with the Berenice and the sanctuary taught me a lot about dingoes and I was privileged to have a personal relationship with many of them and receive their love in return.

 

But, mostly it was a great honour and a privilege to be involved with an inspirational lady who had dedicated her life to educating people about our wonderful Dingo.