The proud owner of dingo 'Kimba', James Bornstein, is part of the new wave of Australian exotic pet lovers whose unconventional companions are growing in popularity.

 

詹姆斯·伯恩斯坦为拥有一条名为“金巴”的澳洲野狗感到自豪。如今澳大利亚兴起了饲养奇异动物作为宠物的新风潮，而像伯恩斯坦这样的饲养者们所钟爱的奇异宠物也越来越受到欢迎。
 

 

In a country known for its unusual wildlife, Bornstein says having a sub-species of the grey wolf in his Sydney home is an opportunity to change people's negative perceptions about the native wild dog and apex¹ predator².

 

"Dingoes are so intelligent. We want people to see her (Kimba) and realise they are not vicious animals, they are just like normal dogs," he told AFP.

 

Dingoes are infamous³ thanks to the dramatic case of Azaria Chamberlain -- a nine-week-old baby snatched by one of the animals during a camping trip in central Australia in 1980, which was made into a movie.

 

Bornstein hopes his efforts will increase support for conservation, as dingo numbers decline amid habitat loss and cross-breeding with domestic dogs.

 

His views are echoed by Ben Dessen, reptile⁴ manager at Kellyville Pets store in Sydney, who owned his first snake at just six.

 

"Now we see every six-year-old that we set up with their first reptile -- hopefully they want to go on and protect animals and have an appreciation⁵ for how amazing these creatures are," he says.

 

According to the Australian Veterinary Association, exotic pets are becoming "more and more popular", with residents owning millions of birds, fish, small mammals and reptiles⁶.

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