Dingo Discovery Centre
Dedicated to conserving the pure dingo, which colonized Australia over 5,000 years ago
Meet our colony of pure dingoes
Meet our colony of pure dingoes: Our current breeding strength numbers 22, with 15 of these resident at our sanctuary and 7 in outside foster homes. Also featured here are some of our wonderful dingoes which have passed on, but nonetheless figure in our present day pedigrees. Dingoes live only a short time in the wild around 5 – 7 years, as life is extremely harsh, but with good care will live long and healthy lives until 16 years, producing until 12. We know of some which reached 20 years of age in captivity.
There are more dingo photos located at our off site photo album
Clancy
was born at Griffith, NSW, bred by Les Hall, who acquired some grand old pure dogs originating on Raymond Island in Gippsland. This strain is renowned for its true examples of “alpine type” – which are dingoes adapted for cold, rugged mountain forest terrain, exhibiting thicker skin and great double coats, more substantial and somewhat shorter limbed than the tropical or desert type. They also are more gentle in nature than their northern Australian counterparts. Whether “alpine” or “desert” the DNA of all Australian dingoes is almost identical. The difference in appearance and natural activity is due to long term environmental influence.
Ayjay
Gentle and beautiful - was born in Gippsland in 1998. She is the ruling alpha female, but greets all children and adults with joy and a wet tongue.
Atom
is our surviving eldest, born in 1991.
Djarrah
Has a romantic history, delivered to the sanctuary by truck from Mt. Isa area in Queensland at four months of age. He quickly settled in, marching with us in the World Environment Day rally.
His DNA sample tested “pure”, so we now hope to obtain another “desert or tropical” type female as a partner for him. As a bottle reared dingo he remains a big bouncing baby, with inexhaustible energy and a most gregarious nature.
Jedda
Jedda (shown here with newly born litter) black and tan daughter of Atom and the colour of her dam Peanut (dec). She is especially valued here at the Discovery Centre for her background which goes back to original Tooronga Park Zoo wild-bred stock.
Sarsaparilla
Another retiree sharing the facilities at the discovery centre. He is to be found as an ancestor of some of our current breeding stock.
Paprika
Paprika is from our first crop of dingo puppies. Pictured at 14 years of age. Now retired from the breeding programme but still enjoying life to the full, teaching all our youngsters good dingo manners.
Sugar
Was rescued from a boarding kennel. She is being assessed for suitability as a mother of future puppies being planned.
Teddy
Our “wolf of gold”, both parents coming to us from outside dingo establishments. Tall and handsome, Teddy is the sire in his first crop of the first white puppies to be born at the Discovery Centre in 18 years. He is a gentle and affectionate parent, with a typical “alpine” coat.
Zombee
Acquired as an outcross from NSW to demonstrate the full colour range available in the species. Now a grandfather of puppies of all hues.
Tasman
Son of Atom and Saffron, passed on during 2005 – a very sad day for Dingo Discovery Centre. He lives on through his stunningly beautiful daughters, Ayjay and Corriander, and his golden son from “Bear” (dec), “Teddy”. Tasman exemplifies the beauty and physical perfection which Australia has shaped as her native canine
Salty
One of our first retained youngsters – born in 1990..
Snip
Is the gentle natured and handsome son of Ayjay and Sarsparilla. Reserved with strangers but loving and demonstrative with his carers, he is a fine example of an alpine dingo.
Snowgum
Retained for the future. Snowgum is especially affectionate with us and a delight to observe growing up in the sanctuary. All things being well she should enter our breeding plans from 2007.
(photo: Andrew Chapman)
Stormy
was personally selected by Lyn from a W.A. fauna park to pad out our choice of breeding lines. He is a strong and handsome male who will enter our breeding programme from 2006.
Wilka
Travelled to the Discovery Centre from a zoo in Queensland, arriving mid 2005. We are looking forward to incorporating her into our lines commencing 2006.
Corriander
fourth generation born at our sanctuary. She is a classic example of all of the features necessary in a typical dingo female.
(Andrew Chapman photo)
Dottley
from our 2004 crop. Pretty, gentle and outgoing – another example of what is produced here.
Cinnamon
Daughter of Paprika, mother of Dottley, and vigilant
“aunty ⁄ nurse” to everyone else’s babies, even when she has none of her own. Cinnamon likes to take a back seat when strangers visit but is extremely demonstrative and loving with her bonded humans.
Cinders
Ayjay’s beautiful daughter and dam of our first white puppies. A proud and capable mother with a real love of life at the sanctuary.
Yaouk
"Yaouk " Named after a far northern NSW mountain range habitat. Rescued from a NSW animal shelter as the world's most talented escape artist and extreme extrovert. Happily sharing life with Freckle.