22/08/2026
❤️
I’m honestly a bit lost for words writing this, and have only just stopped crying.
Our joint nomination with the Australian Dingo Foundation to have the Wilkerr of the Big Desert–Wyperfeld–Ngarkat region assessed for listing as Critically Endangered under the EPBC Act has been prioritised for assessment.
For years we have been documenting this tiny, isolated population, learning who they are, where they live, how they move through the landscape and, increasingly, just how vulnerable they are.
To now see the evidence from that work contribute to Wilkerr being placed on the priority assessment list is incredibly emotional.
This does not mean they have been formally listed as Critically Endangered yet. There is still an assessment process ahead. But it means their nomination has been recognised as a priority, and that is a huge step forward for a population that desperately needs national recognition and protection.
We also want to sincerely acknowledge and thank the Wotjobaluk people, Traditional Owners of the Country where much of our research takes place, for their permission and support to undertake this work and for their enduring cultural connection to Wilkerr.
Without that permission, much of the research and evidence that has helped bring us to this point simply would not exist.
We are incredibly grateful to the Australian Dingo Foundation, especially our co-nominator, Mel Browning, for standing alongside us and putting this nomination forward, and to every researcher, organisation and person whose work has contributed evidence about this population over the years. You all know who you are.
And to everyone who has followed our work, shared our posts, listened, asked questions, defended these animals and believed they were worth fighting for, thank you.
There is still a long way to go. But today feels like one of those rare moments where years of fieldwork, thousands of kilometres, millions of photographs, countless hours behind cameras and computers, and a stubborn refusal to give up have actually shifted something.
Wilkerr deserve a future.
Today, we are one step closer to giving them one. 🧡
