Exploring Dingo Territory

It has been a very busy few weeks across the board. Making the documentary a priority while also working full time has been an adjustment but I feel like I have found a balance with everything now. The last few weeks have seen a great deal of progress with capturing footage of wild dingoes which is by far my favourite aspect of creating the documentary. While it hasn’t all been smooth sailing, there have certainly been some stand out moments.

A juvenile dingo finding its feet.

I have spent the last 4 weekends in a row tracking various packs of dingoes. I have spent many hours trekking through the sand dunes searching for footprints, poo, carcases and any signs of dingoes. The skin under my feet has been burnt and rubbed away from spending hours on the abrasive sand. But it has been well worth it for the shots that I have been able to capture. 

Whenever I go out on these treks to find dingoes, I feel like I am looking for a needle in a haystack or a lost city. On my most recent trip, the wind was so powerful that I had my headphones in the whole time to keep the sand out of my ears. I listened to ‘The Road to El Dorado’ soundtrack by Elton John on repeat to keep me sane and help me smile.

I have noticed a sharp spike in people bringing their dogs to the national park I film in. 2 weeks ago I helped pull a 4WD that was very badly bogged that had two dogs in their tray. Last week I saw 6 dogs along the beach off leash near their owners. My frustration with these people cannot be understated. Not only are they putting their own dogs' lives at risk, they are also putting the dingoes' lives at risk. I will save my rant about this for another day.

In the last few weeks, I have recorded the best dingo footage I have ever filmed. I am in this strange position where I have so many shots I want to share, but I want to save the best shots for the final film. Finding the balance between sharing them to build excitement and keeping some gems up my sleeve is proving to be difficult.

One highlight has been finding a dingo I nicknamed ‘Alpha’ again who I hadnt seen for over two years. I would see her fairly frequently a few years ago when I first started photographing dingoes. She is incredibly distinctive as her face and body are covered in scars and chunks missing out of her from encountering other dingoes. Yet she has somehow overcome the odds and survived year after year. I had assumed that she had finally succumb to a rival pack so I couldn't have been more excited when I sae her distinctive head pop over the horizon for the first time.

‘Alpha’ resting in the afternoon sun.

In all honesty, I dont know how much life Alpha has left in her. She is moving very slowly and looks like a lot of her joints are giving her some grief. I am obviously not a vet or an expert by any stretch of the imagination, but watching her move through the landscape over the years, I have seen a significance difference from then until now. She is still surrounded by a powerful pack which I am certain is what has kept her alive this long. How does “The Law of the Jungle” go again? 

“Now this is the Law of the Jungle Bush — as old and as true as the sky;

And the Wolf Dingo that shall keep it may prosper, but the Wolf Dingo that shall break it must die. 

As the creeper that girdles the tree-trunk the Law runneth forward and back —

For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf Dingo, and the strength of the Wolf Dingo is the Pack.”

I was also fortunate enough to have encountered a few juvenile dingoes in the area. One in particular had either wandered from his pack or gone off on his own for a few hours, but they showed great confidence in the landscape. The juvenile saw me from a mile away and kept their distance, which is always fantastic to see. They walked on the crest of a dune making sure I didn't move and as quickly as they appeared, they vanished into the bush behind the dune system. It was too far away to get a good shot, but it was incredible to see.

A dingo in front of the setting sun.

I have been trying to get good shots of humpback whales on their migration which has proven to be an absolute delight. I know it seems odd that I would need shots of whales in a dingo documentary but I promise it will make sense when you see the film. Until then, you will just have to enjoy the fleeting glimpses of this mother and her calf as much as I did finding them. Having recently become an uncle, I got quite emotional seeing this pair. I am incredibly lucky to be able to see my sister throw herself wholeheartedly into motherhood and seeing the connection those two share is something I can only ever hope to experience one day. I got a bit teary eyed flying the drone back after seeing this mother with her calf because I was thinking of my sister and niece. In off chance you ever read this Mil, I’m sorry for comparing you to a whale. It was supposed to be nice...

I have a lot of informative videos coming out over the next few weeks that dive deep into the world of dingo conservation, as well as behind the scenes videos that show these adventures in a lot more depth. I feel a lot more comfortable with a camera in my hands than I do typing these out. I feel like by doing both, I get the best of both worlds. When I am experiencing these adventures first hand, the videos force me to be present but these blog posts force me to be contemplative and retrospective. 

Thank you for reading.