Two new and excitable dingo puppies are now calling Wagga their home, just in time for school holidays.
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Brothers Zeke and Diego are the latest additions to Wagga Zoo and Aviary, making the most of their custom-built enclosure in the centre of the Wagga Botanic Gardens.
Zoo curator Wendy McNamara said the three-month-old puppies had so far settled in very well to their new surroundings.
"We did a lot of training behind the scenes and socialising until they were ready to go out in their main enclosure," she said.
That training, Ms McNamara said, is in some ways similar to regular dog training.
"But it does have its differences," she said.
"They are incredibly smart, they learn very quickly and they're also very food motivated - which helps."
The siblings only recently arrived in Wagga at eight weeks old and will be a heavy feature on any local family's school holiday calendar.
Still only puppies, the pair have been very keen on attention from visitors.
"At the moment, they are super friendly towards everyone - they love the attention, love the pats, love the cuddles, love the treats," Ms McNamara said.
"As they got older they are going to get bigger, so we are going to monitor it closely.
"We're forming a bond with them as their keepers and as to how much public interaction they will have as adults will really just depend on how their training is going and on their personalities."
Like most young siblings, they can also keep each other plenty occupied.
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"They love it, they've got each other to play with," said Ms McNamara.
"It's really good for them to have company - dingoes are pack animals, naturally."
The dingoes, which will likely grow to the size of a "slim labrador", were purchased by volunteer group Foundation and Friends of Botanic Gardens.
While normally only open Thursday - Saturday, Wagga Zoo and Aviary, with its two newest family members, will be open every day of the upcoming school holidays.
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