Dingoes have descended on Brooklyn.
A new exhibit featuring the Australian wild dogs has opened at the Prospect Park Zoo. They are the first dingoes in a New York City zoo in 40 years, the Wildlife Conservation Society said.
The dingoes, two males and two females, were born in Australia last year. Each male/female pair will be exhibited together.
Dingoes are wild dogs found in the open plains and forests throughout Australia. They sport a short-haired coat that can range from a reddish rust color to lighter shades of brown, with white patches on the paws and tip of the tail. Although dingoes do not bark, they do yelp and howl like wolves.
Dingoes are not generally known as pack animals and primarily hunt alone or in pairs. They are opportunistic carnivores that hunt mostly at night, feeding mainly on small animals like rabbits, wallabies, rodents, and lizards, but they will occasionally attack larger prey like kangaroos and domestic livestock.
Also new to the zoo’s Australian Walkabout are three new emus, flightless birds found throughout the Australian landscape. They are the second largest bird in the world behind only the ostrich.
Other Australian natives living along the Prospect Park Zoo’s walkabout are the Western gray kangaroo, rock wallabies, and Cape Barren geese.
Get the latest from NBC 4 New York anytime, anywhere. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google+. Sign up for email newsletters here. Get breaking news delivered right to your phone -- just text NYBREAKING to 639710. For more info, text HELP. To end, text STOP. Message and data rates may apply.
