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Environment
May 12, 2026
Analyzed by GPT OSS 120B

‘It’s our kinship’: Exploring Australia’s Dingo Conservation and Indigenous Voices

AI Summary
The Guardian profile follows elder Carol Pettersen and activist Sonya Takau as they push for dingo coexistence in south‑west Australia. Their new documentary “Moort: Calling Dingo Back to Country” blends personal memory with a campaign to re‑classify dingoes from pests to cultural keystone species.

A Childhood Echo: Pettersen’s Dingo Memories

Born in the 1940s to a white father and Aboriginal mother, Carol Pettersen grew up deep in the Fitzgerald River bush where the howl of dingoes marked the night. She recalls hearing the calls and spotting the “flicker of red fur” among the mallee heath, a sound she now likens to a song that carries her home.

Moort Documentary Highlights Cultural Loss

The short film “Moort: Calling Dingo Back to Country” (Moort means “family” in Noongar) documents the disappearance of dingoes from Western Australia’s south‑west and asks what has been lost when an apex predator is treated solely as a pest. The film features Pettersen, other custodians, and the advocacy work of Sonya Takau, founder of Dingo Culture.

  • Filmed in both Western Australia and far‑north Queensland.
  • Screened at the WA Parliament in February 2026.
  • Calls for removal of dingoes from pest classifications and an end to 1080 baiting and strychnine traps.

Policy Landscape: Dingoes Classified as Pests

Across most of Australia, dingoes are grouped under “wild dogs” in biosecurity law, allowing landholders to kill them to protect livestock. The 5,614 km dingo fence that stretches through Queensland, New South Wales and South Australia exemplifies the entrenched pest‑management approach.

Indigenous Advocacy Calls for Coexistence

Takau argues that the current framework ignores both ecological benefits—such as controlling overgrazing and reducing feral‑cat pressure—and deep cultural significance for Aboriginal peoples. The campaign, supported by Alix Livingstone of Defend the Wild, proposes practical alternatives: improved fencing, guardian animals, and financial assistance for landholders to coexist with dingoes.

Future Outlook: Towards Integrated Dingo Management

The documentary has sparked dialogue among policymakers, farmers and Indigenous groups. If the proposed legislative changes pass, Western Australia could become a test case for a model that balances agricultural interests with cultural and ecological stewardship, potentially influencing national dingo policy.