Dingoes crave human contact because they’re like modern dogs. All the modern dogs have to be with human beings.

Halo, vibrant viewers, and welcome to Animal World: Our Co-Inhabitants for part one of our two-part series on the delightful dingoes of Fraser Island, Australia. Among the nation's most beloved icons, it is theorized these splendid animals descended from wild Southeast Asian dogs introduced to the continent some 4,000 years ago.

We’re on the beautiful Fraser Island of Southeast Queensland, Australia. This is the largest sand island in the world. It’s over 120 kilometers long, and it has over 40 freshwater lakes on it. This is the only place in the world where rainforest grows straight out of sand. This unique and beautiful environment is home to the Butchulla people and their beloved dingo companions.

He listens and he sings a song of the dog misunderstood for so long.

Dingoes or “wangari” as they are called by indigenous Australians, are typically gold or reddish-brown in color, with long, bushy tails that curl gracefully over their backs when they feel happy. Dingoes are highly social, and while young males might live alone, most prefer to live in packs with up to 10 members. Unlike domestic dogs, dingoes do not bark, but rather communicate through a complex system of wolf-like howls.

Dingoes don’t bark, or cry for help
Dingoes on the Island of Paradise
Dingoes don’t bark, but they still need our help
Dingoes on the Island of Paradise

Although these beautiful wild canines were once widely distributed across Australia, over the past few decades their numbers have steeply declined.

Another species goes up against the wall, now’s the time we should cherish them all…

Over time dingoes have mixed with domestic dogs, causing purebred dingoes to drop in numbers. Fraser Island, a United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage site, has the largest population of purebreds on the east coast of Australia and dingoes have lived here for at least 1,000 years. The Butchulla indigenous people have resided on this island for approximately 5,000 years and consider the dingo an important part of their cultural heritage

. Your traditional role is caretaker of the land and caretaker of the dingo?

Oh yes, yes. The land, the dingo was included. Every other animal that lived there too was the same. If people took time to notice what the dingo does and what they’re like, they’d understand them a lot better, like we did. They weren’t just an animal to us. They were just like our friends. They always were in harmony with us. Our people used to travel of course from Fraser Island over to the mainland. If the dingo jumped in (the canoe) and came over, he came over. He was just part of the family.

Although most dingoes are gold or reddish-brown in color, the Butchulla have often been helped in special ways by white dingoes, whom they believe possess supernatural powers.

There is a white dingo in our stories. If there was anything that was lost, anyone or anything, they always looked for that dingo. If he came along, they knew that they’d find whatever it was they were looking for.

Aunty Mallee, is a Fraser Island resident and has two dingoes who are her constant companions.

Their names are Pup-Pup and Narawee.

Pup's mom and dad were there first, then they had Pup-Pup. And then when Pup-Pup grew up, well he went and got Narawee, his wife now (Not churched.) No, they're married, but not churched. And the father and mother disappeared, but Pup's been there and Narawee (as well) for a long time now. She’s (Narawee’s) very playful and that.

If I’m walking around the place, she'll come, and she'll jump around in front of me, like she’s dancing. And I go silly with her too, and I start dancing with her, and I said, “Oh well, they made a movie “Dancing with Wolves.” Well, they can have me “dancing with the dingoes.” I dance with the dingoes. Pup-Pup, he can be a bit shy sometimes. But he does the same thing too.

Dingoes enjoy a wide variety of food, and happily consume many kinds of fruit as well as the leaves of several plants.

Yes, yes, they would eat the figs, the fig fruit. They'd eat the mangos. There's passion fruit around. So yes, they actually ate a lot of fruit on the island. Yes, they love the coconuts. (It) takes them hours, sucking on the fibrous parts of the coconut to get to them. So yes, they loved it.

When it comes to looking for food, dingoes can sometimes be quite mischievous, going right into people's houses or campsites in search of tasty morsels. Norma Hannant, who has lived on Fraser Island for over 40 years, fondly remembers one dingo who loved candy.

I can tell you some really funny things about, I call them “my dingoes,” because there were about seven of them that lived around my resort. And at the back door we had a little half gate so the little kids couldn’t get in or get out. And if we’d left that open after the boys had brought a load of groceries or something in, the dingoes would be outside just lying under the trees. And we’d hear a noise in the shop and we’d say, “Oh, there’s nobody come through the front door.” And we’d walk around the side, and he’d be just walking along, sniffing at the lollies.

Joanne McKay, who gives guided tours of beautiful Fraser Island, has become friends with several dingoes.

Now this is a perfect example of the dingoes on Fraser Island. They’re very social creatures. As you can see, they’re quite relaxed. Now this is an offspring of a pup last year. Now this, “Little Mum,” we nicknamed her, because she was a little mum. And of course Little Mum had seven pups. This is one of the three. We are privileged. I feel so fortunate to have lived here for two years, and have them allow me to be in their life, to watch them interact, to watch them raise their pups.

Sadly, the current estimated population of dingoes on Fraser Island is less than 100. Debbie Witteman, another member of the Butchulla people, helped put together a music album to raise awareness about their fast dwindling numbers and the need to save them.

If you listen, you’ll hear the call, of the land that’s been singing a song…

It’s a call for everybody to try and help us and be aware of what’s happening on the island, because they’re the last purebred dingoes in Australia. The dingoes were a big part of our life and interacted with our people. And they were just like a domestic animal with us. When Aunty Ethel used to talk to us as kids, she used to say that they used to gather all the dingoes around the little kids, and they were used as body warmth in winter.

So they were actually a major part of our family. They would help, gather the food and everything. And we always made sure that they had a full belly as well as us. When I was young, we had dingoes in the backyard, and we used to always play with them all the time. They’re not like any normal dog, domestic dog. They’re very smart, very intelligent. And it’s just great being around them.

Dingoes don’t bark or cry for help
Dingoes on the Island of Paradise
Dingoes don’t bark, but they still need our help
Dingoes on the Island of Paradise

To support dingo protection efforts on Fraser Island, Robin Wells, keyboardist for the band Badtjala Wangari, composed a loving tribute to these canines. Other members of Badtjala Wangari include lead vocalist Cathy Tapper and her two daughters – 17-year old guitarist Pania and 12-year old bass guitarist Erana. The Tappers, who have their own band called “The Tapper Girls” as well, live in Kandanga, a small town on the eastern coast of Australia.

The song is “Dingoes Don’t Bark.” Robin Wells approached a friend of ours, Debbie (Witteman) and she approached us about the song. Debbie is a descendant from Fraser Island, and is very passionate about the song, and the cause and the dingoes, (which are) pretty well near extinction. And, this song is a beautiful song. It’s very simple, but has a strong message.

It talks about cherishing the species and reflects on all sorts of animals and species, not just the dingo. But the dingo is in a sad position at the moment, and we are only too happy to perform the song.

That’s fantastic. Have you come across dingoes yourself, and what effect did it have on you personally when you saw them? How did it feel?

Oh it’s nice to see them, and I’ve been so lucky that we could just take a day trip over to Fraser Island and they were pretty much there. There were a couple on the beach, they were watching and looking.

Cathy you are from a Maori background. Do you find any similarities between yourself and the indigenous people of Fraser Island?

Definitely. Aboriginals and Maoris have, I believe, the same responsibility to the land and the animals and the birds, so we have a deep respect for the land, the animals, and the birds. And, I think that’s very important, and a lot of indigenous people around the world would feel the same way, I believe.

I’ve heard the album. It seems to have a very powerful effect on people when they hear it. Can you tell us the message that you intended to put into the song, when you wrote, when you sang it?

We have to cherish the species, and the dingo in particular and that we have to understand, and listen. And through listening you will understand that it’s important that this species stay alive forever.

How do dingo family members treat each other? What is unique about a dingo greeting? Learn the answers to these intriguing questions and find out many more fun facts about these marvelous animals by joining us again tomorrow on Animal World: Our Co-Inhabitants for the conclusion of our two-part series on the dingoes of Fraser Island.

Badtjala Wangari’s CD “Dingoes Don’t Bark” is available at

Thank you, gentle viewers, for your company on today’s show. Coming up next is Enlightening Entertainment, after Noteworthy News. May you be always graced with wisdom and inner peace.