South Australian Dingo Network

28/10/2026

SUPPORT RESEARCH INTO THE VULNERABILE S.A/VIC CROSS BORDER DINGO POPULATION

Deakin University has launched a fundraising appeal to support vital research into the vulnerable Big Desert dingo population, which spans the Victorian and South Australian border.

Continued research is essential to understanding and protecting this unique population.

Support vital dingo conservation research.

25/10/2026

09/10/2026

27/09/2026

If there was ever a reminder that dingo pups are tougher than they look, this is it.

Watching this little pup negotiate rocks, fast-flowing water and eventually swim through it is a pretty incredible example of just how capable and resilient wild dingo pups can be.

A pup being alone does NOT necessarily mean it has been abandoned or orphaned.

Adults may be hunting, travelling, resting nearby or simply out of sight. Pups also explore, learn and develop the skills they need to survive in their environment.

Please don’t interfere with, pick up or remove a healthy dingo pup simply because it looks small, vulnerable or is somewhere that seems dangerous to us.

Removing a pup unnecessarily can separate it from its family and take away its opportunity to learn vital behaviours from its parents, siblings and other members of its family group. Once removed, it may never get the opportunity to return to the life it was meant to have.

If you are genuinely concerned about a pup, keep your distance, take photos or video if you can, record the location and seek advice BEFORE intervening.

There are dingo-specific organisations around Australia that may be able to help or point you in the right direction, including:

Victoria: Australian Dingo Foundation and Big Desert Dingo Research

New South Wales: Highlands Dingo Rescue Ltd

Western Australia: Perth Dingo Rescue Ltd.

Queensland: NQ & FNQ Dingo Protection Group

South Australia: South Australian Dingo Network and Big Desert Dingo Research

These are just a few. Laws and circumstances vary between states, so contacting people who understand dingoes before removing a pup can make a huge difference.

Obviously, if an animal is injured, trapped or in immediate danger, seek assistance. But simply being young, alone or somewhere that looks difficult to us does not automatically mean a wild animal needs rescuing.

Dingo pups are incredibly resilient.

📽️ Video: Mike Olszewski

23/09/2026

PUPS ON THE GROUND

It’s that time of year. Dingo pups are on the ground across parts of South Australia, and as they get older they’ll start becoming more active around den and rendezvous areas.

If you come across pups, please don’t assume they have been abandoned. Adults may be away hunting, elsewhere with other pups, or watching from a distance.

Because the legal status and management of dingoes in South Australia is complicated please do not catch, move, handle, feed or transport pups.

But please do contact us.

South Australian Dingo Network is interested in documenting where dingoes are still occurring across the state. If you see pups, adults, tracks or other signs of dingoes, you can send us a private message with:

• the date and general location
• photos or video, if you have them
• how many animals you saw
• anything else you noticed

Exact locations will not be posted publicly.

We are particularly interested in records from areas where dingoes are rarely reported or where their current distribution is poorly understood.

Every sighting helps build a better picture of South Australia’s remaining dingoes.

Photos: Joshua Prieto

12/09/2026

South Australians, this is a chance to make dingoes a priority.

Greens MLC Melanie Selwood is asking South Australians what issues she should prioritise over the next four years, and dingoes are specifically included in the survey.

If you live in SA and want to see stronger recognition, protection and evidence-based management of dingoes across the state, please take a few minutes to complete it.

When asked which issues should be prioritised, select Dingoes and, if this issue matters most to you, nominate it as your highest priority.

South Australia’s dingoes need more people speaking up for them. This is a simple but valuable opportunity to show decision-makers that the community wants their future on the agenda.

Please complete the survey and share it with other South Australians who care about dingoes and our native ecosystems.

https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/8924504/Our-Priorities?cid=103022

Image: mulgastumps

09/09/2026

More than 50 dingoes classified as “wild dogs” have been killed south of South Australia’s Dog Fence since February, following flood damage to sections of the fence.

What changes when a dingo crosses that fence is not the animal, but the policy applied to it.

Its genetics do not change. Its ecological role does not change. Its cultural significance does not change.

Yet north of the fence, dingoes are increasingly recognised as native apex predators with important ecological and cultural value, while south of the fence they remain subject to eradication.

That contradiction deserves much greater scrutiny.

SA Arid Lands Landscape Board is the agency that delivers a diverse range of programs and projects under the direction of a regional board for the SA Arid…

07/09/2026

This is heartbreaking to see, but so important to document. Thank you to Big Desert Dingo Research for shining a light on what is happening to dingoes in South Australia and for giving these animals a voice.

More than 700 lives lost under a government bounty scheme should never be something we simply accept as normal.

06/09/2026

In South Australia, there is no safe side of the Dingo Fence for dingoes.

South of the fence, dingoes are declared for eradication.

North of the fence, they are recognised as native wildlife, yet remain officially unprotected and are still subject to lethal control.

Different legal status. Same animal. Still killed on both sides. 🐾