16/10/2026
Yesterday, we said goodbye to our little wildling, Cinder, the black dingo. 🧡
Sadly, the time came to make the hardest of calls, as life was becoming increasingly difficult for our beautiful old girl. Dingoes are shaped by the raw realities of the natural world, forged by evolution into remarkably resilient and capable animals. In the wild, where they belong, they typically live around 7–10 years. Cinder was approaching 17 an extraordinary age for a dingo.
Although she lived a life of comfort and care in captivity, that life came with its own struggles for a spirit shaped by the wild. I hope we gave her a good life. It could never truly replace the freedom of the world she was born to belong to, but perhaps there was meaning in that sacrifice. Through her, countless people had the opportunity to learn about, connect with and appreciate these incredible animals, and perhaps see her wild relatives a little differently.
It’s remarkable how deeply some animals become woven into our lives. They arrive as part of our world, yet somehow leave a piece of themselves in our hearts long after they’re gone. Time spent with a dingo is never just time spent with an animal. There’s something ancient, untamed and profoundly humbling about sharing your life with a creature that still carries so much of the wild within it. They leave a mark that words can rarely do justice to.
Cinder was one of those animals. She was part of our family, part of our story, and a connection to something far bigger than ourselves. Her time with us may be over, but the impact she made on us and on everyone fortunate enough to meet her will live on.
The end of a dingo era.
Run free, our little Chooks Chook. Find your big bro Khan in the Dingo Dreaming, where the spirit of the wild runs forever free. 🧡