PREVIEW

Video footage has captured the incredible moment a rare dingo puppy was born. The birth at the Australian Reptile Park provides a rare glimpse into the arrival of the iconic Australian creatures.

The park's team had suspected that their beloved dingo, Chilli, was pregnant, and a subsequent visit to the vet confirmed their excitement: Chilli was expecting three puppies. Since that moment, the team has been diligently preparing, creating a cosy nesting area and setting up cameras to monitor Chilli's progress while ensuring minimal disturbance.

Then, on Tuesday morning last week (27 May), Keeper Seleena De Gelder checked the cameras and was stunned to discover that two puppies had already arrived. However, it was the birth of the third pup that would be a momentous event, as Seleena had the rare privilege of witnessing it live. The full footage, now available on the Australian Reptile Park’s YouTube channel, offers viewers a chance to witness this rare and remarkable moment.

“All the births were perfect. Everything went smoothly,” said Seleena. “Bandit, the proud dad, even helped with the first birth—licking the puppy’s head as it came out. It was such a beautiful moment. Chilli is the sweetest little girl, and watching her become a mum has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my career. I’m just so proud of her.”

Chilli and Bandit, both named after characters from the beloved children’s show Bluey, are the proud parents of three puppies whose names are still to be decided.

While the pups are undeniably cute, they also play a crucial role in raising awareness for their species. As Seleena explains, the puppies are ambassadors for the dingo, a species under threat due to widespread persecution.

“As cute as the puppies are, they play a crucial role in raising species awareness. Dingo pups provide a great way for people to connect with dingoes and help us advocate about the importance of the species,” Seleena said.

Despite their importance to the Australian ecosystem, dingoes face significant threats. “The dingo plays a very important role in the Australian ecosystem, but dingoes are being blasted, baited, tracked, shot and hunted in the wild because of their perceived damage to agriculture,” Seleena added. “However, killing dingoes makes way for feral foxes and cats to continuously increase the rate of mammal extinction.”