Secrets of Wild Australia (2016): Season 1, Episode 2 - Dingo - full transcript

The Australian dingo.

With his bright eyes
and bushy tail,

he may look like
a family dog.

But this is no pet.

(Growls)

This wild dog
is an apex predator.

A hunter whose natural
instinct to search for prey

has given him a bad name.

But this elusive wild dog
also leads

a surprising hidden
life of family devotion...

and strictly enforced
social rules.



(Yelping)

The dingo roams
across Australia,

a vast island continent,

home to some of the planet's
most unusual
and fascinating animals.

These are the secrets
of the dingo.

Built for hunting,
dingoes are so adaptable,

they can survive in
a variety of habitats,

including mountains,
deserts and forests.

From the sandy beaches of
Fraser Island in Northern
Queensland...

..to grasslands near
Melbourne in South
Australia...

..and the woods of
New South Wales.

This is the story of
three dingo families

who've established
their homes

in very different habitats.



They're closely monitored
and given names

by dingo conservationists.

Dingoes form a distinct
sub-species of wild dog:

Canis lupus dingo.

They're genetically closer
to the Asian Wolf than to
the domestic dog,

with flatter,
broader skulls, longer,
more pointed muzzles,

longer canines and a
whole lot more attitude.

(Barks)

Canis dingo is thought
to have come to Australia

with Asian seafarers between
three and a half
and 5,000 years ago,

or even earlier, sharing the
land with Aboriginal tribes

long before
European settlers arrived.

Dingoes hunt rabbits, rats,
even kangaroos.

But it's their hunting
of domestic livestock

that has brought them into
conflict with farmers.

Some states even require
dingoes to be killed
on sight.

Dingo numbers are
in rapid decline

and the purebred dingo
is now considered
a vulnerable species.

In Victoria,
a mostly temperate state

in the South East
of Australia,

dingoes Saxon and Petal
are preparing for
a big event,

the birth of their puppies.

When it comes to breeding,

dingoes are different
to domestic dogs.

They're pair-bonded,
with dad Saxon

heavily involved in the
arrival of his young.

Saxon needs to
find somewhere

that will serve as a
birthing den and cozy home

for his mate
and new puppies.

He checks out a
likely-looking hollow log.

Dingoes will often re-use
the homes of other animals,

like rabbits or wombats.

They're looking for
a secure, protected base
close to a water source,

and they'll
establish several dens
in their home territory.

If disturbed in one home,
they'll move to another.

This log seems to meet
Saxon's criteria,
which is lucky

because Petal has been
pregnant for two months

and her due date
is imminent.

Petal instinctively knows
when the pups are due,

and goes into labor,

pacing around, sitting down

and getting back up
again and again.

It's a sure sign
it's nearly time

for her puppies to make
their big entrance.

She's a placental mammal,

so she gives birth to
well-developed live young

and the normal litter size
can range between one
and ten puppies,

although four or five
is more typical.

It's an easy delivery
for the first puppy.

Petal cleans the placental
sac from the newborn.

Dad Saxon stands guard
nearby.

20 minutes later,

puppy number two is also
welcomed into the world.

Petal chews through
the umbilical cord.

Unlike domestic dogs, which
can have two litters a year,

dingoes only breed once

and always at the
same time of year.

Females become pregnant

after the Australian Fall
Equinox, in March.

This timing ensures that
after weaning through the
winter,

the puppies will
have plenty of prey
available in the spring

when they're ready to
start hunting for themselves.

Right now,
Petal's puppies are tiny,

weighing just a few ounces.

They're blind and helpless,

and won't open their
eyes for a couple of weeks.

With just one chance
to breed a year,

it's important that Petal
makes sure all her puppies
survive.

Saxon will have to wait
until Petal's
finished giving birth

to find out how many puppies
he's having.

Further north,
in New South Wales,

are Comet
and her mate Bomber.

A pair bond like theirs
usually lasts for life.

Like wolves, dingoes have
a defined social structure

where only the top or alpha
dogs have puppies.

They also can live in packs
like wolves,

with up to ten members

including mature adults
of both sexes,

extended family members,

as well as last year's
offspring.

This alpha pair already has
four healthy puppies.

Last year's offspring,
Tom and Harold,

are still living with their
parents Comet and Bomber.

They'll probably leave
the family next year

to live alone
or join another pack.

But for now they're still
learning from their parents.

As both father and alpha
male, Bomber has a big job.

He must keep order
in the ranks...

..teach his puppies
everything they need to
survive...

..and protect his family
from any other dingoes

that want to take over
his territory.

Bomber recently took on
a male from
a neighboring pack.

He won the fight,
but received this wound
to his face.

It's a small price to pay.

If the invader
had beaten Bomber,

he would have killed all
of Bomber's puppies so he
could mate with Comet,

and repopulate the pack
with his offspring.

So the puppies are fortunate
their dad was the victor,

and they can play
in the sunshine

and suckle from mom Comet.

She's had an average number
of pups,

but raising them would be
almost impossible
without Bomber's help.

Unlike many animals, both
the male and female dingoes

share parental
responsibilities.

Dingo dads regurgitate food
for their puppies

once they start
eating solids,

help protect and care
for them,

and teach them everything
they need to survive,

right up until
they're adults.

After seven weeks
of suckling,

the puppies are fat
and flourishing.

The first four weeks
of their lives,

they were suckling
every few hours,

but now they're starting
to move towards weaning.

They'll continue to
take milk from their mum

for around
another five weeks,

but they're also
starting to eat solids.

Soon, their parents
will teach them

how to find
small food items like
caterpillars and beetles,

which will make them less
reliant on Mom and Dad

and be handy skills
for when food is scarce
in the winter.

Now they're exploring their
environment all the time,

making regular forays
out from their lair,
a hollow log.

Their older brother Harold
greets their mum, Comet.

And the puppies want
to say hello too.

But it seems that this
makes Harold uneasy.

Although these
are his siblings,

they're also the puppies
of the alpha male
and female,

and he's very cautious
around them.

Harming them,
even accidentally,

could mean repercussions.

As Comet returns,
it's a good excuse to beat
a hasty retreat...

..and for the puppies
to return to suckling.

At 12 months old,
Tom and Harold

must find
their own food, and
regularly go out together

on hunting expeditions.

But they often end up
down by the river,

just relaxing and
doing a bit of grooming.

At a year old, they have
all the right equipment
for hunting.

Sight, smell and hearing
are all working at
optimal levels...

..and outstrip many of
their prey animals' senses.

They're already proficient
in catching small prey

like rabbits,
bushrats and mice.

But without experience,

they don't have
the confidence
or skill level yet

to bring down anything
larger, like a wallaby
or kangaroo.

What they're working on
at the moment

is a very useful dingo
trick...becoming invisible.

Tom and Harold have
the prevalent gingery tan
dingo coloring,

although some dingoes
can be black, light cream

or even black and tan.

The classic tan coat
has many advantages

in the
Australian landscape.

Against the dry grasses
of the pastureland,

just lying down makes them
very hard to see.

Mastering the use of cover,
like bushes and undergrowth,

is a handy hunting strategy.

They are predominantly
pursuit hunters,

but watching their prey's
movements while undetected

means they can track the
direction of the animal

and pick out a
potential target.

But when it comes
to the actual pursuit,

Tom and Harold
still need training,

and the best way
to get that

is to go hunting with their
experienced dad, Bomber.

As they meet up
for the hunt,

the three males
make it evident from
their body language

they have a clear
understanding

of the power structure
here.

Bomber's tail is carried
high and is fully erect,

forming almost a full circle,
and his head is also high.

Tom and Harold hold their
tails and heads lower

to show subordination to
their dad and pack leader.

With everyone
assured of their place
in the pecking order,

they can set off.

Bomber sizes up
the landscape
and sniffs the wind.

Like a dog,
his sense of smell is
around 100 times keener

than that of a human.

His ears can rotate
individually

to pinpoint the exact
position of his prey.

He has 180-degree vision,

and can see movement up to
half a mile away.

And to take down a bigger
kill, dingoes work together.

Dingoes can read
each other's body language
extremely well

and when they
can see Bomber is ready,

all three set off
across the meadows.

Today they're targeting
birds, a dingo staple,

especially
the slower-moving
bigger birds like geese.

But they'll go for
whatever's around,
like waterbirds.

The coots on the water
are too hard to reach.

But the meadows are
full of gamebirds.

The chase is on.

Like wolves, they use
initial speed to try
and catch their target

but then rely on their
stamina and endurance

to wear down
and exhaust the prey

until it can be dispatched
by the pack.

As pursuit specialists,
they can reach speeds of
30 miles an hour.

But this time it's no match
for a pair of wings.

(Screeching)

Hunting is exhausting work.

The three rest to
recuperate their strength.

Dingoes are
opportunistic feeders

and as well as
actively hunting food,

they will eat whatever
they can find

such as carrion, insects,
lizards, even fruit.

Still hungry,
the threesome sets off

to see what else
they can find.

Bomber and his family live
near some rich pastureland,

and it's not long
before they catch the
scent of a cattle herd.

As the top Australian
predators,

dingoes in large packs
are a threat to sheep
and young cattle.

And it's made them a
target of hate for farmers.

But dingoes
aren't all bad news.

They play a key role

in keeping the kangaroo and
rabbit populations down.

Which can mean more grass
for livestock.

And they prey on introduced
feral animals like foxes,

which can improve the
survival of native species,

including small marsupials.

Dingoes hunt as a pack,

and the only way they can
bring down big game

is to work cooperatively.

Bomber sends son Tom in
from one angle...

..while he and Harold flank.

It's a classic pincer
movement technique.

But prey selection is a key
part of a successful hunt.

These cows are
around 47 times

the weight of
Bomber and Harold.

And one well-placed kick
or horn-stab
could take them out.

The dingoes look for
the old, the weak...
or the young.

They've spotted a calf
in the middle of the herd.

Like many hunting animals,

the dingoes' prey drive
is triggered by movement.

The more agitated
the cattle become,

the more the dingoes become
intent on following them.

But they soon realize
that three dingoes

is nowhere near enough
to bring down even a calf.

(Angry lowing)

The dingoes have
to accept defeat.

It's been an unsuccessful
hunt.

And Bomber is clearly
upset about something.

Harold has apparently
stepped out of line.

(Snarling)

(Barks)

When dominance displays
don't convince Harold
who's boss,

Bomber escalates to nipping.

(Yelps)

(Barks)

Harold's body language
plainly states: 'I submit.'

His lips are
curled right back,

exposing the long canines

that differentiate him
from the domestic dog.

And his tail is right down
between his legs.

But he's still a little bit
defiant...

(Barks)

..so Bomber needs to finish
making his point,

and circles Harold
until he stands down

and gives way to his alpha.

It's important for the
cohesion of the group

that Bomber's command
is emphasized.

Finally,
Bomber is satisfied,

but for today,
the two part ways.

Harold is left alone
in the meadow.

Unlike domestic dogs,
dingoes rarely bark.

Instead they howl...

(Howls)

..and yowl.

(Yowls)

This eerie wolf-like noise

is not completely understood
by scientists.

But it seems
the significance of
the howling changes

according to the situation.

(Howls)

They use it to locate other
members of the pack,

and even to warn
neighboring packs
of their approach

at a shared water source.

This will minimize conflict
between the packs.

Unencumbered by his sons,

Bomber sets out on
one of his most important
jobs as alpha male:

territory marking.

The chemical messages he
leaves are full of
information.

Most likely serving as a
warning to any other dingo

with thoughts of violating
his borders:

'This is my territory, and
I'm actively patrolling it.

Stay out!'

Bomber's found
a patch of another animal's
urine on the ground.

This rolling may be to
disguise his own smell
while hunting,

or perhaps to advertise
where he's been

to the rest of the pack.

Territory marked,
he can head back
to find the others.

(Howls)

On Fraser Island, Luke and
Ivy are out scavenging.

Lying just off the
east coast of Australia,

Fraser is the world's
largest sand island.

Over 600 square miles

of isolated, pristine
habitat.

Its lakes and woods
offer ideal homes

to a colony of around
120 dingoes.

One of the biggest threats
to the future of the dingo

is the cross-breeding or
hybridization that happens

when they mate
with domestic dogs.

And so, the dingoes
of Fraser Island
are thought to be

the most genetically pure

due to their isolation
from the mainland.

Luke and Ivy are among the
many dingoes who are tagged

as part of a monitoring
scheme.

They live right
next to the beach.

It's a popular spot
for fishermen,

who often fillet
their catch on the beach,

and bury the guts
in the sand.

Luke and Ivy mostly spend
their time beachcombing

for these hidden caches
of fish entrails.

A dingo day is broken down
into around
65 per cent activity

and 35 per cent resting.

So while Luke
takes a snooze,
Ivy goes out scavenging.

But even with her
dingo super-nose,

she's not having much luck.

In ideal conditions,

she should eat around
seven per cent
of her body weight,

about two pounds of food
every day.

She's finding
a few small morsels,
but nothing like enough.

For now, she retires
back to the tree-line

away from the scalding heat
of the beach.

Her coloring soon
makes her invisible

as she merges
into the undergrowth.

In Victoria, new parents
Saxon and Petal

are taking
their little family out
for a morning stroll.

Petal had four puppies

and all of them are
strong and vigorous.

Now six weeks old,

the pups need to get used
to traveling the terrain,

as well as familiarizing
themselves

with the sights and smells
of the great outdoors.

Once the days get warmer,

the puppies will need
to start preparing

for a more
independent life.

As apex predators,

full-grown dingoes don't
face many threats
from other animals...

..but if the puppies wander
too far from the pack,

they could still
make a tasty snack

for a large bird of prey
like a kite or eagle.

Mum and Dad
must keep a watchful eye
on all of them,

but it's hard when,
like many toddlers,

wandering off at high speed
is a specialty.

One of the female puppies
gets separated from the
others.

Overhead, a wedge-tailed
eagle circles.

It's easily powerful enough

to make short work
of a puppy.

Saxon must find
his puppy fast.

He leaves the rest of the
puppies with their mother

and sets off to search for
his missing little one.

He scans the horizon.

His nose
is working overtime.

But the little puppy
is still oblivious
to the danger she's in

and is now quite far
from the rest of the family.

Saxon picks up her scent.

He finds her.
The little pup greets him.

What looks like a
kiss hello, however,

is really
a request for food.

The little ones
instinctively rise up
and tap, sniff and lick

their parents' muzzles

as a signal
for their parents
to produce the goods.

But Saxon isn't obliging.

Back in Northern
New South Wales,

mum Comet
is at the family's
base camp or lair,

watching over her
puppies' afternoon nap.

They're
eight weeks old now,

and already much more
advanced.

As well as
gradually weaning them
from milk to solids

over the next few weeks
Comet also needs to make
them more self-reliant.

They must learn
to be aware of danger,
be able to find food

and look after themselves.

As summer approaches,

the dingoes
will move on from the log

and Comet
needs to make sure
that the pups can survive

without her guidance
and care.

She leaves them alone
for short periods

to begin preparing them
for adult life.

As soon as the puppies
wake up,

they realize that
neither Mum nor Dad
are anywhere to be seen.

The boldest puppy, Mojo,
sets off to find Mom.

He checks out the log...

..the fields...

..then goes even further.

Mojo totters all the way
down to the water's edge.

The puddle of mud is a brief
but welcome distraction.

He joins forces
with his sister,
who's looking for Mom too.

But the only adult they can
find is big brother Harold.

He's just as uneasy around
the puppies as ever.

At just over a year old,

Harold isn't long out of
puppyhood himself.

And like many big siblings,

he's got no desire to hang
out with the little ones.

Finally, Comet returns
with some food she's found.

She's desperately thin

after suckling
five voracious puppies
for eight weeks

and doesn't feel like
sharing.

(Growls)

But she needs much more
than she's found.

She's not been able to hunt
properly for almost two
months.

It's been Bomber's
job to feed her.

And today he's doing
his job diligently.

It's not unusual to come
across dead animals or
carrion

in the Australian bush and
Bomber's found a real
prize...

..a wallaby carcass.

Comet greedily tucks in.

Bomber takes a relaxed
position to one side,

and allows his mate to eat.

He knows now isn't the time
to ask for a share.

Wallaby is a common
prey item for dingoes,

and hungry Comet wants to
keep this juicy dinner

all to herself.

Comet's able to
slice through
the wallaby's bone, sinew

and toughest gristle
with the greatest of ease.

Her teeth are
similar to that of a dog,

although her canines
are longer.

At the back of her jaw,
powerful carnassial teeth

easily shear through flesh
and bone.

The puppies venture a move
towards the meat.

(Growls)

The two bravest puppies
make another try
for the carcass.

Now Comet's got some down,

she's prepared
to tolerate them.

Even at this young age the
puppies are finding out

which of them is
the more dominant.

(Growling)

(Yaps)

Little Mojo apparently
isn't at the top of
the pecking order.

Bomber decides he's
been patient enough.

(Snarls)

But Comet's having
none of it.

Bomber is forced to settle
for a piece that she's
discarded.

Comet and the pups
have made short work
of the wallaby.

(Growling)

They wash down their meal
with a drink.

Dingoes can go
days without drinking,

but when they have
access to water,

they like to drink
a pint or two a day

depending on how hot it is.

Time to settle down
for a nap.

On Fraser Island, Ivy and
Luke are still hungry.

Ivy has spent hours
crisscrossing the beach

looking for
fishermen's cast-offs

with very little
to show for it.

Now it's Luke's turn.

He starts by looking
for some crabs.

The crustaceans
bury themselves

in holes in the sand.

But there are none
in evidence.

And he doesn't find any
buried fish guts either.

Luke and Ivy aren't doing
well going solo.

Even with their
super-smell, keen vision

and ears that can hear four
times further than humans,

not every hunt is
going to be successful.

But once they team up and
after an hour of searching
together...

..they unearth a large stash
of discarded fish.

They tuck in, bones and all.

Back in Northern New
South Wales,

Bomber's off hunting again.

Comet didn't leave much
of the wallaby carcass

for anyone else
in the family,
so he's still hungry.

His hunting range is huge.

Dingoes regularly travel
around 25 miles a day.

He investigates
the forest...

..but his keen
sense of smell

has picked up a scent
around half a mile away.

He follows the trail...

..until he pinpoints
the source of the smell
inside a log.

But it's proving difficult
to get to.

Bomber slowly demolishes
the log.

Digging...

..scraping...

..even biting off wood
to get to his prize...

..a dead rabbit.

Finally, he can enjoy
a meal of his own.

It's a just reward
for such a diligent dad,

who, belly full, returns
to his mate and puppies.

Whether they're
scavenging for food
like Luke and Ivy...

..or raising the next
generation of puppies like
Saxon and Petal,

or teaching
youngsters to hunt
like Comet and Bomber...

..Australia's dingoes are
fascinating canids.

Their defined
social structure,

extraordinary
communication skills

and remarkable devotion
to their families

reveals that dingoes
are far more than
ruthless predators

and that they lead rich
and complex lives.

(Howls)