How much of a dog is a dingo? New research rekindles identity debate

Back in 2019, an incredibly cute dingo pup was found hiding and crying in the garden of a backyard in north-eastern Victoria.

Marks on the pup’s body suggested he’d been dropped from the clutches of an eagle flying overhead.

The pup, named “Wandi”, became an Instagram sensation and DNA tests reported he was pure dingo.

Soon after his crash-landing, Wandi took up residence at the Dingo Discovery Centre north-west of Melbourne, run by Lyn Watson of the Australian Dingo Foundation.

Ms Watson said she was so excited at the time because there’d been a widespread belief pure dingoes were going extinct in south-eastern Australia as they interbred with other canids (members of the dog family).

“We thought [Wandi] was a rare find.”