Canis dingo

Understanding Australia’s Apex Predator

By: Bradley P. Smith

Cuts through longstanding myth and political noise to offer a deeper understanding of the dingo.

Canis dingo is a captivating exploration of one of Australia’s most iconic and polarising species. Drawing on two decades of scientific research, historical records and firsthand fieldwork, Bradley P. Smith traces how a wild canid became entangled in myth, law and livestock conflict, revealing what is at stake in the way Australia treats its apex predator. + Full description

As new scientific discoveries unsettle entrenched views, and awareness of the dingo’s ecological and cultural value grows, Australia is being forced to confront uncomfortable questions. Is the dingo a native species or a feral intruder? A wild canid or domestic dog gone rogue? A threat to biodiversity or one of its last remaining guardians? The answers matter, because they flow into real-world decisions that determine whether dingoes are protected or killed across much of the continent.

Blending field science, published research, historical evidence and expert perspectives, this book cuts through longstanding myth and political noise to offer a deeper understanding of the dingo and its place in modern Australia.

"Beautifully written and literally bursting with factual information."
– Lyn Watson, Founder–Director of the Australian Dingo Foundation

- Short description

Details

Paperback | June 2026 | $ 59.99
ISBN: 9781486318483 | 296 pages | 245 x 170 mm
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
B&W photographs, Illustrations

Features

Presents a timely and evidence-based reappraisal of Australia’s most misunderstood predator, challenging myths and reframing the national conversation.
Integrates scientific research, ecological theory, Indigenous cultural perspectives and policy analysis to explore the dingo’s identity, origins and role in Australian landscapes.
Investigates the complex politics behind dingo management, including hybridisation myths, legal definitions and the influence of industry and government agendas.
Explores practical, non-lethal strategies for coexistence, highlighting Indigenous knowledge, emerging science and community-led solutions for living with predators.
Combines engaging storytelling with personal field experience to create an accessible, thought-provoking account.

Preface
Cultural sensitivity warning

1 Introduction

Part 1 A new arrival
2 Origins
3 Dingo Dreaming
4 The case of the vanishing tiger

Part 2 The dingo
5 Secrets to survival
6 Following the sun
7 A wolf in a dog’s clothing

Part 3 Dingoes in the landscape
8 The dingo effect
9 The feral invaders
10 Rewilding

Part 4 An identity in crisis
11 Taxonomic tangles
12 Between worlds
13 The hybrid myth
14 True blue

Part 5 Dingoes in the crossfire
15 Dangerous liaisons
16 The mad red hour
17 Wild dog menace

Part 6 Embracing the wild
18 The baiting paradox
19 Breaking the cycle
20 Pathways to coexistence

Acknowledgements
Chapter sources and further reading
Index

Authors

Dr Bradley P. Smith is a recognised expert on dingoes. He is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology at CQUniversity, specialising in animal behaviour, conservation science and the complex relationship between humans and wildlife. He is the author of The Dingo Debate and lead editor of Wildlife Research in Australia.