‘It’s our kinship’: can #Australia learn to coexist with #dingoes?

As dingoes vanish from parts of Australia, a new documentary is calling on governments to move away from #eradication and towards solutions that benefit both #farmers and #animals

By Rosamund Brennan, 11 May 2026

Excerpt: "As Takau began looking into dingo laws, she says she found that policy was shaped largely by livestock interests, with little regard for #FirstNations cultural authority. 'There were no Aboriginal people having a say in this animal,' she says.

"In many parts of Australia, dingoes are grouped with 'wild dogs' under biosecurity laws and treated as pests or invasive animals, allowing – and in some places requiring – landholders to kill or exclude them to protect livestock.

"But Takau argues that framing ignores both their cultural significance and their ecological role. 'Dingoes keep Country healthy,' she says; they can control #overgrazing by animals like goats and #kangaroos, and reduce pressure from feral cats and foxes, which prey on #NativeWildlife.

"Through her advocacy, Takau met #AlixLivingstone, founder of #DefendTheWild, and the two began working to centre #Aboriginal voices in #DingoConservation. That work led west, through a #CulturalExchange that brought rangers from #Queensland and northern #NSW together with Aboriginal corporations on WA’s south coast to share dingo monitoring knowledge and cultural stories.

"The film and campaign grew out of that exchange. In February, Moort was screened at WA parliament, where custodians called on the state government to remove dingoes from pest classifications in biosecurity law and phase out 1080 baiting and #strychnine-laced foothold traps, which can cause prolonged, painful deaths.

"Livingstone says the campaign is not about pitting Aboriginal people against farmers but shifting support from killing programs to coexistence measures such as #BetterFencing, #GuardianAnimals and practical help for landholders. 'It’s about finding solutions for farmers that protect their interests but also maintain dingoes in the environment,' she says."

Read more:
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/may/12/australia-dingoes-documentary-calling-dingo-back-to-country

#SolarPunkSunday #NativeAustralians #SonyaTakau #Rewilding #EndangeredSpecies #Coexistence #Nature

#Africa - #Coexistence That's Built to Last

"For two decades, African People & Wildlife has partnered with communities across #Tanzania to protect wildlife, restore landscapes, and support sustainable livelihoods. See how this work has grown and where it’s going next.

Landscape Restoration and Connectivity

We lead collective efforts to restore and connect a flourishing mosaic of lands that benefits people, parks, and wildlife while building local #ClimateChange #resilience.

#HabitatLoss and #fragmentation pose one of the greatest threats to the future of Africa’s people and #wildlife. Without urgent action and collaborative partnerships, our most critical landscapes and their natural resources could be lost forever.

Support Local Corridors

We engage communities in the conservation of critical corridors for wildlife and livestock that link protected areas with communal and private lands.

Revitalize #DegradedPastures

The #overgrazing of local pastures can lead to #SoilErosion and inadequate food for wildlife and livestock. Together with local communities, we monitor and manage the long-term health of vital habitats that benefit people and wildlife.

Layer Programming to Maximize Impact

We overlap our rangeland management programming with the observed range of lions, leopards, and cheetahs to ensure the health and connectivity of vital big cat habitat. We also enhance the health of these pastures with an increased beehive presence through our Women's #Beekeeping Initiative.

Leverage Partnerships to Enhance Connectivity

We work with multiple partners – including government authorities – across large landscapes like the #Ngorongoro Conservation Area to identify shared goals and implement joint programming with local community members."

Learn more:
https://www.africanpeoplewildlife.org/key-issues/our-priorities/landscape-restoration-and-connectivity

#SolarPunkSunday #WildlifeCorridors #ClimateChangeAdaptation #Stewardship #EnvironmentalStewardship #SoilRestoration

#TFG #Appalachia #Overgrazing #WorldView #Society #HumanNature

It’s all overgrazing, it’s all a tragedy of the commons, and we can’t agree on exactly who to blame for signing this social contract — or how to renegotiate it before the pasture becomes permanently barren. The challenge isn’t identifying the problem — Rousseau and the English figured that out centuries ago. The challenge is mustering the collective wisdom to manage our shared resources before they’re grazed beyond recovery.

https://www.salon.com/2025/07/12/why-appalachia-and-rural-america-clings-to-trump/

Overgrazing (Habitat 🌄)

Overgrazing occurs when plants are exposed to intensive grazing for extended periods of time, or without sufficient recovery periods. It can be caused by either livestock in poorly managed agricultural applications, game reserves, or nature reserves. It can also be caused by immobile, travel restricted populations of native or non-native wild animals. Overgra...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overgrazing

#Overgrazing #Habitat #LandUse #Livestock #Grasslands #Agroecology