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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 47(2)

Investigation of free-living highland wild dogs near Grasberg Gold Mine, Papua Province, Indonesia

James K. McIntyre A # , Caitlin J. Curry https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3853-7191 B # , Lisa L. Wolf A , Hendra K. Maury https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1917-7987 D , Leonardo A. Numberi https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4318-5079 D , Suriani Surbakti D and Brian W. Davis https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6121-135X C E *
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A New Guinea Highland Wild Dog Foundation, Fernandina Beach, FL, 32034, USA.

B San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, Conservation Science and Wildlife Heath, Conservation Genetics, Escondido, CA, 92027, USA.

C Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine, College Station, TX, 77843, USA.

D Department of Biology, Universitas Cenderawasih, Jayapura, Papua, 99224, Indonesia.

E Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine, College Station, TX, 77843, USA.

* Correspondence to: bwdavis@tamu.edu

Handling Editor: Mark Eldridge

Australian Mammalogy 47, AM23047 https://doi.org/10.1071/AM23047
Submitted: 10 November 2023  Accepted: 8 May 2025  Published: 29 May 2025

© 2025 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing on behalf of the Australian Mammal Society.

Abstract

Following reports of free-living wild dogs, Canis sp., resembling the descriptions and behaviours of New Guinea singing dogs in the Puncak Jaya area in 2015, a three-phase assessment was conducted in three expeditions occurring in 2016, 2018, and 2022. The goals of these studies were to determine the incidence, status, and natural history of wild dogs near the Grasberg Gold Mine in Papua Province, Indonesia. The assessments identified the existence of Highland wild dogs (HWD) through indirect and direct observations by using trail cameras and field observation. Additional quantitative information about their behaviour and morphology were collected through the capture of eight dogs. The captured dogs underwent comprehensive medical examinations, and biological samples were collected for genomic analyses to determine the genetic relationship between HWD and other canines. Additionally, four of the dogs were equipped with global positioning system (GPS) collars to study the ranging behaviour of HWD for the first time. Documenting the existence of HWD has further strengthened the establishment of Papua’s position as one of the world’s megadiverse regions.

Keywords: camera trap, collar, dingo, expedition, scat, singing dog, wild dog.

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