K’gari NRM wongari (dingo) rangers, and recently stepped in to help a family of five tiny 4-6 week dingo pups who had decided that the cozy space under a private residence was the perfect place for their first home.

While undeniably adorable, it’s no secret that living so close to human activity puts these young dingoes and people at significant risk. The mother of these pups has been monitored by rangers since 2018, who are accustomed to her habituated behaviour.

What to do – acting quickly and using their expertise, rangers carefully planned deterrent strategies to encourage the proud parents to move their pups back into the bush, where they’d have a much safer start to life.

These strategies started with permission from the property owners, initial application of dog deterrent scents (ineffective!), electrical tape installation and strong citronella scent was successful in deterring the parents, bright spotlights deterred some pups from returning followed by blocking known access points, and finally installation of effective barrier fencing and panels by the resident owners under the low set house to prevent full access. The family has retreated inland.

This successful outcome for the pups moving on of their own accord, without handling, and no longer living under the residence, was a heartwarming reminder of the important work being done to maintain a healthy balance between these apex predators and humans. K’gari rangers are committed to fostering sustainable coexistence and work hard to maintain relationships with property owners and stakeholders.

Special recognition also goes to the island’s private property owners who’ve made significant improvements to being dingo safe by fencing off under their homes, veranda gates and extended barriers on their rental properties to stop potential denning in these areas. Some are harder to convince than others, but initiatives like this are vital for reducing early familiarity and habituation; thereby reducing dingo-human interactions and protecting both visitors and our beloved dingoes. It’s partnerships like these that make a big difference.

Article contributed by QPWS Wongari Ranger Olivia,  K’gari NRM – Wongari team