Snickers, Honey, Coco, Pretzel, Indy and Lucky hit five weeks old in the most chaotic, adorable weigh-in the Park has ever seen.
There are six dingo puppies at the Australian Reptile Park right now, and they have opinions about bones.
Six dingo puppies born at the Australian Reptile Park have hit their five-week birthday and celebrated with two big milestones in the same week: a weigh-in and their very first bone.
"These puppies were born here at the Australian Reptile Park five weeks ago and they are thriving. Not only are they physically growing but their personalities are growing with them," said Seleena De Gelder, Head Mammals Keeper.
The weigh-in did not exactly go to plan. All six of mum Chilli's pups, Snickers, Honey, Coco, Pretzel, Indy and Lucky, were supposed to take turns on the scales. The puppies had other ideas.
"We brought down a set of scales, and it was a little bit of a mess to start. All the puppies wanted to be weighed at the same time, but we eventually got it. They were all around 3.75 kilos except for our big outlier Pretzel who was 4.2 kilos. We are so happy with how they're growing and developing," said Seleena.
Then came the bone. The result was pure, joyful mayhem.
"When we first got that bone out, they were stoked. All six of them were fighting over it. They were pulling it to each side of the playpen. They were having an absolute ball," said Seleena.
The bone is far more than a fun distraction. For young dingoes, gnawing is a vital form of enrichment, supporting jaw development, natural foraging behaviour and mental stimulation as they grow.
"It's good for their teeth and it teaches them how to rip and tear meat off a bone just like they would in the wild. It's great enrichment, keeps them active and it's got health benefits too," said Seleena.
Beyond the cuteness, the Australian Reptile Park is committed to protecting dingoes in the wild, funding vital conservation research in the Barrington Tops through a scat analysis project that helps scientists better understand wild dingo populations.