By JESSE GRAHAM
HEALESVILLE Sanctuary’s resident dingo puppy has a new lifelong friend, in the form of a friendly and furry Maremma named Dante.
Dante, six months old, has been slowly introduced to one-year-old dingo pup Maliki at the sanctuary, with the pair growing closer in their daily walks and play-time.
The two came out to play on Thursday 30 April, splashing in a creek, chasing each other through bushes and wrestling around while being introduced to news crews.
Life Sciences Manager of Animal Behaviour Sue Jaensch told the Mail that Maliki was originally brought to the sanctuary last year with her sister, Yani.
Unfortunately, Yani died suddenly late last year, from what keepers believe was a snake bite.
“It left us in a position where we had this young girl by herself,” Ms Jaensch said.
“She was eight months old at the time, and so we had the unique challenge of finding a suitable companion for her.”
Dingoes, Ms Jaensch said, are very territorial, so the sanctuary’s resident adult dingoes, Omeo and Dargo, were ruled out due to risks of the adults attacking Maliki.
“We chose a Maremma for a number of different reasons,” Ms Jaensch said.
“Maremmas are naturally quite cautious of things – they are an animal that tends to be not-so focused on people and more focused on their environment, exactly the same as dingoes.”
She said that Maliki took an instant liking to her new companion, and that the two have become as thick as thieves in their daily catch-ups.
“Maliki’s attitude towards life changed – she was a lot more calm, she was a lot more relaxed and definitely looks forward to those play sessions with Dante every day,” Ms Jaensch said.
The pair will be exposed to each other more and more often before they are set up in the same area, where they’ll stay for the rest of their lives.
Zoos Victoria is also training Maremmas to protect the critically endangered Eastern Barred Bandicoots, as part of their five-year Wildlife Conservation Master Plan.
For more information on the plan, or on Maliki and Dante, visit www.zoo.org.au
