Have you met Tan and Bindi, our two Australian dingoes? Make sure you stop by their enclosure next time you're here!
Tan (male) and Bindi (female) are found in our Koala & Wildlife Park. We thought we'd tell you some more about these beautiful creatures and their history in Australia.
History
Dingoes (canis lupus dingo) are wild dogs found only in Australia. It's believed that they originated from semi-domesticated dogs introduced from East or South Asia approximately 4000 years ago, which were then released into the wild and became accustomed to their new lifestyle.
Dingoes can live anywhere from deserts to grasslands and on the edges of forest areas. They make dens in the wild for shelter, and these are normally found in deserted rabbit holes or hollow logs.
Credit: Brock WilliamsFood
They are considered an apex predator, feeding on rabbits, kangaroos and rats but some livestock farmers see them as a pest.
Cultural Significance
Dingoes are prominently featured in Aboriginal Australian stories and ceremonies, and have been found on rock carvings and cave paintings around Australia.
Although they are considered an apex predator, they are listed as vulnerable to extinction due to interbreeding with domestic dogs which could dilute the dingo's natural adaptations to the Australian landscape.
Breeding
Dingoes are mammals, so they give birth to live young, and then feed them via mammary glands that produce milk.
They usually breed once a year from March to June, and can have anywhere from 4 to 6 pups in a litter.
Credit: Brock WilliamsAppearance
The coat of a dingo can vary in colour, depending on where the individual dingo lives. Generally they are a ginger colour with white feet, but some dingoes might be more of a golden yellow, while others can be a darker tan or black.
Their coat is very short, but they have a bushy tail.
They are often mistaken for dogs, however their canine teeth are much longer and their head is quite broad. Their muzzle is also longer than a domestic dog, and tapered.
Here in Tropical North Queensland, we are pretty well-known for our Estaurine Crocodiles. But what about it’s smaller, shyer and (let’s admit it) cuter relative,
The Pamagirri Aboriginal Experience includes a dance performance consisting of dances from various tribal areas around Tropical North Queensland. Get ready to discover ancient Aboriginal
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Accessibility Statement
www.rainforest.com.au
October 6, 2024
Compliance status
We firmly believe that the internet should be available and accessible to anyone, and are committed to providing a website that is accessible to the widest possible audience,
regardless of circumstance and ability.
To fulfill this, we aim to adhere as strictly as possible to the World Wide Web Consortium’s (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 (WCAG 2.1) at the AA level.
These guidelines explain how to make web content accessible to people with a wide array of disabilities. Complying with those guidelines helps us ensure that the website is accessible
to all people: blind people, people with motor impairments, visual impairment, cognitive disabilities, and more.
This website utilizes various technologies that are meant to make it as accessible as possible at all times. We utilize an accessibility interface that allows persons with specific
disabilities to adjust the website’s UI (user interface) and design it to their personal needs.
Additionally, the website utilizes an AI-based application that runs in the background and optimizes its accessibility level constantly. This application remediates the website’s HTML,
adapts Its functionality and behavior for screen-readers used by the blind users, and for keyboard functions used by individuals with motor impairments.
If you’ve found a malfunction or have ideas for improvement, we’ll be happy to hear from you. You can reach out to the website’s operators by using the following email
Screen-reader and keyboard navigation
Our website implements the ARIA attributes (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) technique, alongside various different behavioral changes, to ensure blind users visiting with
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alongside console screenshots of code examples:
Screen-reader optimization: we run a background process that learns the website’s components from top to bottom, to ensure ongoing compliance even when updating the website.
In this process, we provide screen-readers with meaningful data using the ARIA set of attributes. For example, we provide accurate form labels;
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To turn on screen-reader adjustments at any time, users need only to press the Alt+1 keyboard combination. Screen-reader users also get automatic announcements to turn the Screen-reader mode on
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Keyboard navigation optimization: The background process also adjusts the website’s HTML, and adds various behaviors using JavaScript code to make the website operable by the keyboard. This includes the ability to navigate the website using the Tab and Shift+Tab keys, operate dropdowns with the arrow keys, close them with Esc, trigger buttons and links using the Enter key, navigate between radio and checkbox elements using the arrow keys, and fill them in with the Spacebar or Enter key.Additionally, keyboard users will find quick-navigation and content-skip menus, available at any time by clicking Alt+1, or as the first elements of the site while navigating with the keyboard. The background process also handles triggered popups by moving the keyboard focus towards them as soon as they appear, and not allow the focus drift outside it.
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Disability profiles supported in our website
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Visually Impaired Mode: this mode adjusts the website for the convenience of users with visual impairments such as Degrading Eyesight, Tunnel Vision, Cataract, Glaucoma, and others.
Cognitive Disability Mode: this mode provides different assistive options to help users with cognitive impairments such as Dyslexia, Autism, CVA, and others, to focus on the essential elements of the website more easily.
ADHD Friendly Mode: this mode helps users with ADHD and Neurodevelopmental disorders to read, browse, and focus on the main website elements more easily while significantly reducing distractions.
Blindness Mode: this mode configures the website to be compatible with screen-readers such as JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack. A screen-reader is software for blind users that is installed on a computer and smartphone, and websites must be compatible with it.
Keyboard Navigation Profile (Motor-Impaired): this profile enables motor-impaired persons to operate the website using the keyboard Tab, Shift+Tab, and the Enter keys. Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.
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We aim to support the widest array of browsers and assistive technologies as possible, so our users can choose the best fitting tools for them, with as few limitations as possible. Therefore, we have worked very hard to be able to support all major systems that comprise over 95% of the user market share including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Opera and Microsoft Edge, JAWS and NVDA (screen readers).
Notes, comments, and feedback
Despite our very best efforts to allow anybody to adjust the website to their needs. There may still be pages or sections that are not fully accessible, are in the process of becoming accessible, or are lacking an adequate technological solution to make them accessible. Still, we are continually improving our accessibility, adding, updating and improving its options and features, and developing and adopting new technologies. All this is meant to reach the optimal level of accessibility, following technological advancements. For any assistance, please reach out to
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