You can see him on the Tour Path!
The story our our Australian dingoes, Aussie, Glacier, and Uluru actually begins with their parents, Kooyong and Buckley, who were part of a breeding program overseen by the Dingo Discovery and Research Center in Australia, which has been an official conservation organization since 2007. The Centre finds zoos and sanctuaries outside of Australia that are willing to care for a breeding pair of dingoes and their offspring to help ensure that the species survives.
Occasionally, a breeding pair goes to a private home instead of a facility, as was the case for Kooyong and Buckley who went to live with a husband and wife in Florida. The couple gave their dingoes great care and eventually Kooyong had a litter of six pups while in their care! Unfortunately, while the dingoes were well cared for, the human family went through a rough patch. The husband tried to sell Kooyong’s pups and quickly found out that it was illegal. He then left his family, taking all their funds and leaving the dingoes.
Soon after, Buckley and his sons had a terrible fight that resulted in Buckley being euthanized due to devastating injuries. With tremendous sadness, the woman decided the remaining dingoes needed placement in new homes. Two of Kooyong’s pups found a home at a zoo, and the rest of the family came to be with us here at Wild Spirit.
Sadly, Kooyong passed away many years after their arrival, and Aussie lived a long life at Wild Spirit, passing in 2023. Uluru and Glacier still remain and have come to know Wild Spirit as their home and safe space. While Glacier is the most confident, Uluru is more reserved and shy. He usually waits for his brother to meet new people, or check out fun new enrichment items, and then gains the confidence to do so himself!
