General wildlife licence requirements

Wildlife welfare and care

Wildlife housing and care

Objective

To ensure you provide appropriate permanent housing that provides for the good health and welfare of any dingo held under your licence.

How to comply

You must ensure enclosures meet the needs of any dingoes held under your licence. Below is a list of basic requirements. These are the minimum standards that should be provided to all wildlife.

Adequate shelter

Provide protection from the elements such as rain, wind, direct sun, or snow; and any extremes in weather. This includes appropriate opportunities for a dingo to regulate its body temperature, such as shade; and covered dry areas for all dingoes in the enclosure to retreat from rain.

The landscapes dingoes occupy in the wild provide a range of landscape features that may serve as shelter, and dingoes in the wild have the opportunity to seek shelter during poor weather conditions.

Dingoes in captivity have the same requirements, therefore every dingo enclosure should have access to enclosed, covered shelter – being a structure either natural or built that can withstand sustained adverse weather conditions and allows a dingo to retreat from the weather into a secure area.

Shelter may be provided by a kennel, artificial den, shed or similar, but it should at minimum provide a space for each dingo in the enclosure with the dimensions of 1 metre depth, 0.8 metre width, and 1 metre in height, with an access point that limits as much as possible exposure to wind for any dingo inside.

This space, as well as protecting dingoes from the weather, can support dingoes to retreat from sight if fearful, nervous, or unwell.

The shelter described does not replace the need for access to shade in the enclosure more generally. During hot conditions, dingoes may prefer to be in the open air instead of an enclosed shelter and should have the opportunity to do so without direct sun exposure.

Prevent escape or injury

Enclosures must be designed to prevent the escape of wildlife. For dingoes, mandatory construction standards to prevent escape are provided in Dingo enclosures.

Captive dingoes have a demonstrated capability to manipulate features such as bolts or latches given opportunity and will readily learn how gates may be opened after observation of human activity. It is highly recommended that these internal access points are also locked, or at minimum latched in a way that prevents dingo manipulation.

Enclosures must be appropriately maintained to reduce risk of injury (e.g., through loose wires, sharp edges, or rusted/corroded surfaces) and to prevent escape through degradation of enclosure barriers.

Enclosures must be of an appropriate size and dimension to suit the physical characteristics and behaviour of the animal. Dingoes in the wild roam over large areas. While minimum enclosure dimension recommendations are provided, consider providing the largest enclosure possible at your premises for the dingo to facilitate improved wellbeing and the exhibition of natural behaviours.

Only house compatible wildlife types together. Dingoes should not be housed with any other wildlife species.

See Dingo enclosures

Protect wildlife from predators

Enclosures must prevent access from animals that may be considered predators, including incompatible or unfamiliar domestic dogs.

Restrict access by unauthorised persons

Enclosures must be secured to prevent unauthorised access. Given that dingo enclosures are generally large and outdoors, in practice this means that access points must be locked.

Additional dingo housing and care considerations

Enrichment

In the wild, dingoes regularly range over hundreds of kilometres in natural landscapes with varied features that provide novelty, as well as access to social and hunting opportunities.

While a direct replication of dingo wild habitat is difficult in an enclosure, the enclosure should contain a variety of safe furnishings to encourage dingo interaction with the enclosure environment and support the expression of natural behaviours, such as digging, climbing, or foraging (e.g. following scent trails through vegetation).

The base of any dingo enclosures should not be majority artificial substrate (e.g., concrete, artificial turf). Dingoes need access to soil, lawn, garden, or other natural substrate sufficient to allow rolling and digging behaviours. Any artificial substrate within the enclosure should be kept to a minimum.

Using rocks, logs, and planted vegetation can encourage natural foraging behaviours, especially when these features are used during feeding to provide enrichment. Guidance on food-based dingo enrichment is available at Provision of food and water. See also this Zoos Victoria Healesville Sanctuary YouTube video(opens in a new window).

Rocks and logs also allow dingoes to access high points, which in some dingoes can be a preferred location to rest. Artificial structures providing height, such as a raised platform or climbing frame, may also be used. Any enrichment features must be placed in the enclosure in a way that does not facilitate escape of any dingo.

See Provision of food and water

Visit Enrichment tips from a dingo keeper, Zoos Victoria Healesville Sanctuary, YouTube(opens in a new window)

Hygiene

You should clean dingo enclosures every day to remove any dingo waste, included faeces and uneaten food. This waste should be disposed of in accordance with your local waste requirements. Enclosures should be monitored for vermin access and occupation, and hygiene maintained to reduce the presence of rats and mice that may be killed and eaten by dingoes or expose dingoes to diseases including bacterial infections and parasites.

Dingo group dynamics

Aggression between enclosures

Dingoes in the wild will hold and defend territory against other dingoes to maintain control of resources within that territory. Dingoes in captivity may see their enclosure as their territory, and as a result may exhibit aggression if they believe that territory or the resources within are being encroached on by neighbouring or newly introduced dingoes.

Where sustained or increased aggression is observed following the introduction of new dingoes into an enclosure, the new animal should be removed to prevent injury.

Male dingoes may lunge and bite at fences when another male dingo is on the other side, which may lead to mouth damage and sustained high stress. The use of metal sheeting or other opaque, solid material as a visual barrier between enclosures may reduce the expression of territorial defence and reduces the risk of tooth or mouth injury for biting and lunging.

Observations of dingo behaviour over time can help to determine whether dingoes are experiencing sustained stress, and prompt further controls to reduce exposure between incompatible dingoes.

Breeding

If dingoes are kept in groups, for best practice animal welfare it is recommended that any breeding only occurs when deliberate and planned, where the welfare of the dingo adults can be maintained, and where appropriate enclosures are available to house all dingoes, including any pups. Methods to restrict breeding when not appropriate may include:

• Physical separation of males and females (that is, confinement to different enclosures).
• Chemical fertility treatments (for example, contraceptive implants or other medications).
• Surgical fertility treatments (for example, spaying or neutering of adults).

Welfare of adult dingoes during breeding

Before you allow dingoes to breed, the adult female should be older than one year of age. Although some female dingoes may reach physical sexual maturity (that is, they are capable of bearing pups) from nine months of age , pregnancy in Dingoes below one year of age is not recommended.

Dingoes younger than one year old may be considered adolescents, and their hormone levels are subject to significant fluctuation. In the wild, there is evidence that less than 40 per cent of adult female dingoes younger than two years of age were sexually mature. Allowing breeding prior to this age may interrupt natural hormonal maturation and impact the health and wellbeing of the dingo as she ages. For example, there is a correlation between poor adult joint health and disruption of natural adolescent hormonal fluctuations.

Under no circumstances should sick, injured, or otherwise infirm dingoes (for example, malnourished) be allowed to breed.

During breeding season – March to August – dingoes may become aggressive. If you have more than one dingo, it may be useful to separate dingoes during breeding season to prevent injury. It is recommended that the introduction of new people, animals, items or situations is reduced during the breeding season, especially if a dingo has observable behavioural changes.

Weaning of pups

The weaning of dingo pups can start from around three to five weeks of age, as dingoes move around their landscape more freely. In the wild, pups are fully weaned at around three to four months, though in captivity pups may be removed earlier without adverse welfare outcomes (at around seven to eight weeks).

• Dingo pups cannot be removed from their mother before they are fully weaned.
• Dingo pups once weaned can be rehomed to other persons that are licensed to keep dingoes.

See Restrictions on dingo transactions: dependent wildlife

Housing of pups

As pups are weaned, adult dingoes may change their behaviour towards these juveniles – switching from care taking and food provision to exclusion from food and escalating aggression. In the wild, this encourages dingo young to move into new territories to support healthy populations across the landscape. As dingoes cannot self-disperse from a secure enclosure, licence holders should actively monitor adult dingo behaviour towards any pups, and intervene as required to prevent injury, sustained stress or exclusion from resources, or other avoidable harm being caused to any dingo. This may require construction of additional enclosures, if dingo pups cannot be rehomed by the time they are removed from the parental enclosure.

Transportation

Objective

To ensure dingoes are transported in appropriate enclosures that prevent injury, stress and disease, and risk to people.

How to comply

Dingoes must be restrained during transport to prevent injury to the dingo and to people. This may be achieved, for example, either:

• When transported in a car, using a travel harness (such as those used for domestic dogs) that restricts movement.
• When transported via any means, including in a car, by use of an appropriately sized animal crate constructed of sufficiently robust material to prevent escape (such as coated metal or rigid plastic) and secured to prevent the crate from moving during transit.

Transport can be stressful for dingoes, and dingoes should be provided access to water and opportunity to toilet at minimum every two hours during transport. Additionally, monitoring of the comfort and wellbeing of the dingo should occur at this time.

Animals should be in a fit state before being transported. Sick or injured animals should not be transported except to allow for the provision of veterinary care, with precautions taken to minimise further stress or injury.

Any equipment used to transport a dingo must be clearly and securely labelled with the details of the licence holder including the licence number.

If you are consigning wildlife to transport for long periods, such as interstate travel, additional measures may be required to maintain the animal’s health and welfare. Further permissions are also required, as detailed in Import/export permits.

See Import/export permits

Restrictions on dingo transactions: dependent wildlife

Objective

To ensure the welfare and survival of dependent, sick or juvenile dingoes and prevent the spread of disease.

How to comply

Do not enter any transaction where the dingo is dependent, diseased, sick or injured.

If any dingo in your care is diseased, sick or injured, you must take it to a veterinarian for assessment as soon as possible.

Unweaned juvenile dingoes (where the mother’s milk – or a milk replacement, where the mother is not able to feed the pups – still forms part or whole of the dingoes’ diet) must not be traded.

This condition does not apply where you have written approval from the Conservation Regulator to buy, sell, dispose of, consign or transport wildlife to which this regulation applies. Trade of dependent wildlife will only be considered where animal welfare can be protected. Applications for written approval can be submitted via email.

Email wildlifelicensing@deeca.vic.gov.au

Restrictions on the interbreeding of dingoes

Objective

To prevent the interbreeding of dingoes with any animal that is not a dingo. Crossbreeding of different taxa can lead to species atypical genetics that may modify species behaviour, health and wellbeing.

How to comply

Ensure you keep any dingo separate from intact domestic dogs, especially during breeding season. Interbreeding with domestic dogs can produce viable offspring that do not look like or behave like dingoes but may retain some dingo behaviours or instincts that can pose a risk to people and other animals. Current research indicates that dingo-dog hybridisation is exceedingly rare in the wild(opens in a new window).

Under regulation 124 of the Wildlife Regulations, it is an offence to permit a taxon of wildlife to interbreed with another taxon of animal that is not wildlife, unless the person first obtains the written approval of the Conservation Regulator. A dingo is an example of a taxon of wildlife. A dog (Canis lupis familiaris) is not considered wildlife, therefore interbreeding (negligent or intentional) between a dog and a dingo held under licence is considered an offence under this regulation, and may be subject to enforcement action.

Visit New scientific research on dingo genetics and populations in Victoria(opens in a new window)

Wildlife transactions

Import/export permits

Objective

To prevent wildlife trafficking by regulating the trade of wildlife between States and Territories. To ensure that only wildlife legally able to be held in Victoria is transported from interstate, and that wildlife leaving Victoria meets the laws of the destination jurisdiction.

Trade monitoring also assists in reducing or tracing the spread of disease and ensures the health and welfare of wildlife being imported and exported.

How to comply

You can apply for a permit and complete your notification of outcome for a permit online, or you can download and complete the relevant form, from our website.

Please allow three to five business days to process your application.

Further information, including import and export restrictions and cases where an import/export permit is not required, is available at Import and export permits for Victorian wildlife(opens in a new window). If you are unsure, call or email us.

Visit Import and export permits for Victorian wildlife(opens in a new window)

Call DEECA Customer Contact Centre 136 186

Email wildlifelicensing@deeca.vic.gov.au

Advertising sale of wildlife

Objective

To ensure wildlife is only possessed and traded by those with an appropriate licence.

How to comply

You can only trade wildlife with a person who holds an appropriate licence. This means a wildlife licence that is current and allows them to keep that species of wildlife.

You must include your licence number when advertising wildlife for sale. This allows others to be satisfied that the advertisement is lawful. When purchasing wildlife, ask to see the seller’s wildlife licence and make sure it’s valid before completing the transaction.

Record keeping requirements

Record books

Objective

To ensure accurate and up-to-date records of all wildlife transactions in Victoria, and to ensure that captive wildlife has come from a lawful source.

How to comply

Relevant transactions include purchases, sales, import, deaths, gifts, breeding and escapes.

Your Wildlife Record Book is used to record all wildlife transactions, including dingo transactions. You cannot keep and trade dingoes until you have received both your licence and record book.

All record books for all wildlife licences are supplied by the Conservation Regulator and remain the property of the Conservation Regulator. Making or keeping records that are inaccurate or false is an offence under the Wildlife Act.

To comply with this condition, you must:

• Ensure entries are recorded on the same day that a transaction occurs.
• Ensure entries are permanent and legible.
• Request an additional record book from wildlife licensing if you no longer have sufficient pages to record your dingo transactions.
• Retain all record books you have been issued while you hold a licence or possess wildlife.
• Return your record book to the Conservation Regulator within 10 business days should you choose not to renew, or surrender your dingo licence.
• Return your record book to the Conservation Regulator if your licence is cancelled.

If you lose or damage your record book, you must report your loss by emailing us within two business days. There is a fee for each book lost or damaged.

Please refer to Theft, loss or damage of record book or return form for further information.

See Theft, loss or damage of record book or return form

Email wildlifelicensing@deeca.vic.gov.au

Annual return forms

Objective

To provide a state-wide overview of the volume and species of wildlife currently being possessed and traded in Victoria, which helps to ensure we have the right legal framework in place. This record keeping also provides a mechanism for the Conservation Regulator to prevent illegal trade of wildlife and understand where wildlife may not be provided with appropriate care.

How to comply

Your return is a summary of the wildlife transactions you conducted under your licence in the 12‑month period between 1 April and 31 March. Information contained in the returns is confidential.

You must submit a completed return form by 14 April each year. You must also keep a copy for your returns for future reference.

A Return Form must be submitted even if you:

• Have not bought, sold, traded, or otherwise acquired any dingoes.
• Do not currently have dingoes in your possession..

If you have no dingoes in your possession and have not acquired or disposed of any dingoes throughout the year (including births, deaths, escapes and transactions), you must mark your return as ‘Nil’ and submit it by 14 April.

If you have acquired or disposed of any dingoes (including births, deaths, escapes and transactions), or if at any time in the return period you have had wildlife in your possession, you must indicate these events on your return and indicate the number of dingoes in your possession as of 31 March of the year the return is submitted.

You may submit your return at Wildlife licence annual returns(opens in a new window).

If you are unable to complete the online form, you can request a form by calling or emailing us.

If you do not submit a return, you may not be eligible to renew your licence. Additional penalties may also apply if these obligations are not met.

Visit Wildlife licence annual returns(opens in a new window)

Call DEECA Customer Contact Centre 136 186

Email wildlifelicensing@deeca.vic.gov.au

Do not tamper with record books or return forms

Objective

To ensure record books and return forms are a true and accurate representation of wildlife possession and trade in Victoria.

How to comply

Record books and return forms are legal documents. They must be accurate and include all wildlife in your possession or legally traded.

Record books and return forms remain the property of the Conservation Regulator. Tampering with them in any way is an offence. Tampering includes erasing or editing entries, removing pages, or otherwise damaging records.

All entries in your record book, and on hard copy return forms, must be permanent and legible. You must write in your record book with a pen in black or blue ink.

If you make a mistake when filling in an entry, you should:

• Strike a line through the entry.
• Write your initials and date of the correction next to the corrected entry.

You cannot use white out or other methods to cover up entries. You also cannot remove any pages from your record book.

Additional record keeping obligations

Objective

To ensure oversight of all wildlife transactions in Victoria, while maintaining the confidentiality of licence holders.

How to comply

Keep your record book and return forms at the address specified on your dingo licence and in a secure location to prevent loss or theft.

Under the Wildlife Act, you must provide a copy of your record book, licence and return forms to Authorised Officers when asked. Authorised Officers have the power to – at any reasonable time with regard to the circumstances – ask to see, inspect or make copies of record books and any other documentation associated with your dingo licence.

The record book and return forms remain the property of the Conservation Regulator. Should you choose not to renew your licence, or your licence is cancelled, you must return your record book to the Conservation Regulator within 10 business days.

If you are provided with a written direction to surrender your wildlife record book by the Conservation Regulator, you must surrender all record books and return forms by the date specified.

Reporting

Theft or loss of wildlife

Objective

To uphold the health and wellbeing of wildlife in captivity, through appropriate monitoring and investigation of theft, loss or escape.

How to comply

If there has been a theft, loss or escape of a dingo in your care, you must:

• For suspected theft, report it to Victoria Police within two business days of you becoming aware.
• Retain a copy of the police report. If requested by an Authorised officer, you must produce a copy of the police report.
• Report the theft, loss or escape of wildlife to the Conservation Regulator by email within two business days of becoming aware of the loss.
• Record the theft, loss or escape of wildlife into your record book.

Theft, loss or damage of record book or return form

Objective

To ensure the integrity and confidentiality of records.

How to comply

You must report the loss, theft or damage of your Wildlife Record Book or Annual Returns to the Conservation Regulator by email within two business days of becoming aware. You can do this by completing the Notify Theft, Loss, Damage or Escape form available on our website(opens in a new window), and emailing us the completed form.

Visit Private licence obligations and record keeping(opens in a new window)

Email wildlifelicensing@deeca.vic.gov.au

Change of details

Objective

To ensure licence details are up to date and the person responsible for the dingo licence is identifiable.

How to comply

You must notify the Conservation Regulator within 10 business days of any changes to the details listed on your licence, including changes to your name, contact details, residential address and/or specified premises. Licences are not transferable to another person. You can do this by completing the form available at Commercial licence obligations and record keeping(opens in a new window).

An amended licence will be posted to you.

Your residential address is the specified premises where a dingo must be kept in accordance with your licence. If you change your specified premises, the new premises must have a dingo enclosure meeting the specifications detailed at Dingo enclosures, and the Conservation Regulator may ask you to provide details of the enclosure at the new property and/or Authorised Officers may visit to inspect whether the enclosure meets the required specifications.

See Dingo enclosures

Visit Private licence obligations and record keeping(opens in a new window)

Images in this guide are for illustrative purposes only. These images represent both Victorian and interstate wildlife possession.