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CALL FOR DINGO TALES

Announcement posted by Heather Travers Public Relations 04 Mar 2014

Help save the dingo from extinction

MEDIA RELEASE                                                        3 March 2014

 

Call for Dingo tales

 

The love of dingoes and his desire to protect this endangered species has inspired WA schoolteacher Kane Guy to create a collection of short stories about Australian dingoes. 

 

The stories will be produced in a new book called Dingo Tails to be released in July.

 

Author Kane says when he first started collecting the stories he was amazed to read about the unique interactions people had with dingoes.

 

And now he is seeking further contributions from the general public.

 

“Writing ability is not important,” he says, “We just need to know about your experiences with dingoes which will assist us greatly in generating more awareness of these magnificent creatures which have been misunderstood for too long.”

 

When dingoes play such an important role in the Australian eco-system Kane says it is alarming that such intelligent and sensitive animals are being driven to extinction due to a general lack of knowledge.

 

“Dingoes are essential in the wild for the survival of our small native species such as bilbies, quolls, rare wallabies and possums.

 

“In areas where the dingo has been exterminated, aggressive predators, such as foxes and wild cats, have wiped out these significant species, ” he said.

 

Kane and his family have formed a close bond with their latest family member, a young desert dingo called Mambo.

 

 “He has changed our lives, ” he said.

 

It was when Kane saw how his students interacted with Mambo and showed such a natural curiosity about dingoes that he felt strongly motivated to put a book together as an educational tool.

 

 “Australia holds the world record for mammal extinctions, losing 20 species in the past 200 years,” said Kane. “It is important our children know the facts. 

 

“If we lose the dingo, we lose a whole lot more so I am compelled to stop this from happening in any way I can.”

Dingo stories will be accepted til the end of June 2014 and can be submitted through Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DingoTails?ref=hl or via email dingotails@gmail.com or by calling Kane on 0439 960 805.               ENDS

(SELECTION OF PHOTOS ARE AVAILABLE)

Media spokespersons:   Kane Guy   0439 960 805Nic Papalia 0410 882 185

Issued by:                                        Kane Guy, Vasse WA   0439 960 805

 

BACKGROUNDER

Facts:

  1. Australia’s only native canine is not just an incredibly effective hunter but also a highly intelligent and sensitive animal

  2. Dingoes are ecological modulators and serve many vitally important roles in that capacity.

  3. Dingoes are 30% more intelligent than any other canine.

  4. The dominant female dingo kills any pups born to other females in a dingo pack. Pack members help care for the pups of the dominant dingo pair. This keeps numbers in check and stops interbreeding.

  5. The absence of top order predators’ worldwide is causing great concern among conservation scientists and efforts are being made to restore populations and to re-introduce these animals as essential for restoration of ecological regions.

About the author:

Kane Guy is a teacher at a senior college in the SW of Western Australia.  He lives in Vasse, WA with his wife Amanda, their three young children and a dingo pup called Mambo. (They regard themselves as the guardians of Mambo, not his owners)

Kane and Amanda heard many incredibly touching, interesting and amazing stories about dingoes through their involvement with several preservation groups and knew immediately that the stories collectively would make for a truly powerful and educative experience.

He aims to produce a high quality learning resource for schools and feels with the introduction of the new National Curriculum the timing is perfect to design a learning resource that can be used Australia wide.

Kane is currently shaping these unique stories into a mosaic of the Australian dingo that has never been seen before.

He is also putting together a study guide that will turn this beautiful collection of stories into a powerful resource for any school and for students of any age.