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NEW GUINEA SINGING DOG |
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The island of
New Guinea, second largest in the world, is home to many strange creatures.
Its variation from the tropical clime in the lowlands to Alpinelike cold
in the higher elevations is uncommon. Early domesticated southern dogs
spread from the Middle East to southeastern Asia with various human migrations
many thousands of years ago. Some drifted to Australia to become the Dingo
and others to Malaysia (the Telomian).
Not far from
Australia, a dingo-type dog took up residence in New Guinea. The torrid
forests and chilled mountain peaks spawned a hardy animal called the New
Guinea Singing Dog.
Many lived as
pariah dogs with the village natives in the lower elevations. Other dogs
climbed to the mountains, where they turned feral. In the cold climes,
they developed a thicker, double, slightly longer coat than most pariahs.
But curled tails, the foxy, wedge-shaped heads and high prick ears follow
the usual pariah characteristics.
Although smaller
than its near relative, the Singing Dog is similar to the Dingo but
with unique propensities. It possesses the erect ears and is a swift
hunter with social instincts. Unlike the Dingo, the New Guinea female
cycles twice a year in captivity.
Its howl has
an eerie yet synchronized quality which gives the breed its name. The
howl can be spurred by agitation or excitement. One tone blends with
the next, sending goosebumps up a listener's back.
In 1948, a
pair of the dogs was brought to the Taronga Zoo in Sydney, Australia.
Several other zoos clamored for the progeny, and pairs were brought
to Europe and Russia in the 1950s-60s. For a time, the Singing Dogs
fascinated the public. The interest in keeping and viewing a dog—albeit
a feral dog—waned, although two pairs still live in zoos in the States.
"Singer"
and "Dancer" sing for their supper at the Minnesota Zoo, with
another pair at the Sedgwick County Zoo in Wichita, Kansas. The Minnesota
duo once "accompanied" Metropolitan Opera star Benita Valente
on television. The Singing Dogs are tame enough to be handled and petted,
but don't tolerate these attentions for long. These dogs are believed
to be scarce or even extinct in New Guinea.
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