Dingo pups coming to Saskatoon’s Forestry Farm Park and Zoo

Saskatoon’s zoo is adding two new members to the animal family this spring, and they’re a favourite of the head zookeeper.

Two pure-bred dingo pups are set to arrive at the Forestry Farm Park and Zoo soon.

“I’ve grown up my whole life working with them, being around them,” said Zookeeper Tim Sinclair-Smith, who hails from Australia.

“They’re an amazing animal.”

Known as Australia’s wild dogs, pure-bred dingoes have become extremely rare Down Under due to cross-breeding with domesticated dogs on the continent.

Sinclair-Smith said they’re lucky to receive the two bonafide dingo pups from the Oakvale Wildlife Park — a sanctuary dedicated to protecting the genetics of the species. He added the zoo believes they’ll be the first pure-bred dingoes to make an appearance in Canada.

The pups, currently eight months old, will make their way to Saskatoon after permits are cleared. They’ll be placed in a 30-day quarantine — a standard for foreign animals — before being revealed to the public.

While they’ll take over the old wolf enclosure across from the meerkat house, the dingoes won’t always be confined to that space.

“Just like your dog at home, they’ll go around on their harnesses and people will come up and meet them,” Sinclair-Smith said.

“They like attention, a belly rub and playing.”

He noted sessions will be held where people will be able to pet the dingoes and learn more about the species.

People visiting the zoo, and those living in nearby neighbourhoods, could also hear the dingoes compete with the wolves in the nearby Nutrien arch.

“I’m sure every time some sirens go by in the neighbourhood, just like the wolves will howl so will the dingoes,” Sinclair-Smith said.

“We’ll have some howl-offs happening.”