A tight-knit community has been left utterly “devastated” and “heartbroken” after discovering a beloved local dingo was shot and killed on public land. The sad act was apparently conducted without any legitimate reason and despite the fact it’s unlawful to do so in the state without proper approval.
Warrigal the dingo, believed to be about two years old, was found killed at a local tip near Coral Bay, a small coastal town about 1,200 kilometres north of Perth in Western Australia, earlier this week.
Researcher Brinkley Davies, from the not-for-profit charity Balu Blue Foundation, had documented Warrigal’s movements as one of the only healthy female dingoes in the area. Speaking to Yahoo News Australia, Davies explained how Warrigal became a local icon over the years — extremely popular among both residents and tourists alike.
Davies said Warrigal not only played a critical part in her natural ecosystem—being an apex predator, dingoes are significant for maintaining ecological balance — but she was important to science too.
A community is mourning the loss of a ‘beloved local icon’ – Warrigal the dingo. Source: Brinkley Davies
Heartbreak as beloved community dingo ‘shot on public land’
The animal provided key insight into “just how beneficial dingoes are to our landscape”, particularly when it comes to controlling feral cat populations, which cost the Australian economy billions per year to manage. After another healthy female in the region was killed by a car last year, Davies said the future of dingoes in the area is now uncertain due to the fact they produce a litter just once per year.
“She was an absolutely vital part of the Coral Bay community, but also our research project,” Davies told Yahoo. “She was a really, really healthy, perfect example of a desert dingo, and she also was a perfect example of a community being respectful and coexisting.
“As far as we all were aware, there was never a single complaint made about her or any conflict situations — she was timid and lived on the outskirts of town. She would just sit there perfectly and pose for the photos — there was never, ever a report of her being aggressive or a nuisance.”
Dingoes are considered native fauna under the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016, and they are protected in Western Australia. Lethal control on public or Crown land requires approvals and it cannot be done freely without coordination with government authorities, or compliance with specific guidelines.
It is also unlawful to kill a dingo without proper justification or incentive.
The two-year-old dingo, known by locals as Warrigal, was beloved by her community at Coral Bay in WA. Source: Brinkley Davies
Researcher vows to fight for justice after ‘devastating’ tragedy
Davies said Warrigal was killed by a licensed dogger — someone who specialises in controlling wild dogs, including dingoes, as part of pest management efforts — but it’s not known who the individual was contracted by, nor why Warrigal was targeted. Davies claims an employee at the local tip heard a gunshot and saw Warrigal’s body prior to it being removed by the dogger.
She said she corresponded with both the Shire of Carnarvon council and the state’s Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) to try and ascertain why the dog met her untimely death, but ultimately, received no explanation.
“We want to know why she was shot. We want to know why a firearm was allowed to be discharged in a public place, that’s 800 metres from town,” Davies said.
“[The dogger] has a licence, but you can’t shoot something on a public land unless you have approval from the people that own that land, and because it was Shire land, we’re trying to figure out what’s happened here.
“Why, if there was an issue with Warrigal, were other options not explored first?
“We’ve been working really, really hard to work with our government bodies to let them know we are equipped and able to help with relocation, or if a dingo needs to go into a foster program. There’s all these other options.”
Angry community wants explanation for dingo’s death
Now the community — made up of just a few hundred people — is reeling from the dingo’s shock death. But Davies has vowed to continue her fight for justice. “People are absolutely so angry and so sad at the same time. I’ve had some really heartfelt messages over the last couple of days,” she said.
“She was a huge highlight in a lot of people’s days. And Coral Bay is such a small place, and so a connection like that with an animal that’s wild and not doing anyone any harm, is a really special part of living somewhere like this.
“People are obviously really angry and frustrated, but they’re also not going to let this slide. They want answers. And they want answers like, now.”
Authorities weigh in, claim to have no knowledge of cull
Speaking to Yahoo News Australia, a spokesperson for the DBCA said it hadn’t authorised any killing of dingoes at Coral Bay.
“Dingoes are considered native fauna under the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 (BC Act) and they are protected in Western Australia,” the spokesperson told Yahoo.
“Wild dogs including dingoes and their hybrids are declared pests under the Biosecurity and Agriculture Management Act 2007 (which is administered by the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development), and wild dog management is the responsibility of the landowner or manager.
“An exemption under the BC Act allows dingoes to be taken without a licence for pest management purposes only.”
The Shire of Carnarvon said it was investigating the circumstances and asked the public for patience.
“We would like to clarify that the Shire of Carnarvon was not involved in this incident and does not engage contractors to undertake activities of this nature,” it said.
“The Shire is currently investigating the matter and is actively cooperating with other relevant government agencies to understand the circumstances surrounding this incident. We are committed to ensuring that the matter is thoroughly examined and will continue to assist with the investigation.
“We ask the public to refrain from speculation and respect the process as authorities work to determine what has occurred.”
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