The Dingo Debate

The Dingo Debate explores the intriguing and relatively unknown story of Australia’s most controversial animal - the dingo. Throughout its existence, the dingo has been shaped by its interactions with human societies. With this as a central theme, the book traces the story of the dingo from its beginnings as a semi domesticated wild dog in Southeast Asia to its current status as a wild Australian native animal under threat of extinction. As the book progresses, it describes how the dingo made its way to Australia, their subsequent relationship with Indigenous Australians, their volatile relationship with the media, and their constant battle against the agricultural industry. During these events, the dingo has demonstrated an unparalleled intelligence and adaptable nature seen in few species. The book concludes with a discussion of what the future of the dingo in Australia might look like, what we can learn from our past relationship with dingoes, and how this can help inform us to allow a peaceful co-existence.

The Dingo Debate reveals the real dingo beneath the popular stereotypes, providing an account of the dingo’s natural history and behavior based on scientific and scholarly evidence rather than hearsay. Anyone with an interest in the evolution, the mind, and the way that humans and wild animals get on with each other will be interested in this book.

With contributions by Rob Appleby, Chris Johnson, Damian Morrant, Peter Savolainen and Lyn Watson.