Why do some Fraser Island dingoes look thin?
Wild dingoes are naturally lean and fit. They live a very active life, running or trotting up to 40 kilometres a day patrolling their territories and hunting. In fact, from data gathered since 2001, Fraser Island’s adult dingoes have an average weight of around 18 kilograms, higher than mainland dingoes (Corbett, L 2009, Audit (2009) of Fraser Island dingo management strategy: Supplement 2: Assessment of public submissions regarding dingo management on Fraser Island (PDF, 141K)*). Thin-looking dingoes may be juveniles that haven’t developed good condition or are subordinate animals or what are called ‘scapegoat’ animals in the pack. These lower ranking animals are often denied access to food, even at times when there is plenty of it about. It is a way that dominant animals keep their ‘rule’ over the pack. It is common that juvenile dingoes—6 to 7 months old—lose some weight immediately after leaving their dens or packs. They must now learn to hunt for their own food. Juveniles are gene
