Feral cat caught on sensor camera on Wilinggin Country, Karunjie Durack.

28 July 2023

IN PHOTOS: AUSTRALIA'S WILDEST SELFIES ARE IN THE KIMBERLEY

Caught on camera! Step into the wild and unfiltered world of Nyaliga Country and discover the Kimberley's wildest animal selfies! Thanks to the Nyaliga Rangers and WWF-Australia Kimberley team, this #nofilter photo blog brings you the juiciest sensor camera images capturing never-before-snapped wildlife on Wilinggin Country, Karunjie Durack. 

From celebrity-status native animals to notorious feral invaders, we've got candid moments and epic selfies from this rugged, culturally significant Australian wilderness. Don't miss out on the hottest pics from the animal kingdom snapped right here in Kimberley, Western Australia!

Wedge-tailed eagle (Aquila audax)

Camera trap image of wedge-tailed eagle on Karunjie-Durack.
Sensor camera image of a wedge-tailed eagle on Wilinggin Country, Karunjie Durack. © WWF-Australia / Wilinggin Aboriginal Corporation

You don't have to be eagle-eyed to spot who set off the camera sensors here! This wedge-tailed eagle (Aquila audax) has landed and taken one of the best selfies we’ve ever seen photographed in the Kimberley!

Dingo (Canis lupus dingo)

Dingo in for the smooch! These two native icons were snapped during a sweet moment of affection on Nyaliga Country
Sensor camera image of two dingoes snapped while they snooped on some equipment on Wilinggin Country, Karunjie Durack. © WWF-Australia / Wilinggin Aboriginal Corporation

Nosy neighbours! These two native icons were snapped while they snooped on some equipment on Wilinggin Country, Karunjie Durack.

Feral cat (Felis catus

Feral cat caught on camera trap in Wilinggin IPA (Karunjie/Durack)
Feral cat caught on sensor camera on Wilinggin Country, Karunjie Durack. © WWF-Australia / Wilinggin Aboriginal Corporation

Some cat pictures are cute and for the clicks, this one is definitely not. This feline was photographed so deep within Wilinggin Country, Karunjie Durack, it shocked even the Nyaliga Rangers and WWF-Australia staff. "It was nowhere near where humans are", says WWF-Australia's Cultural & Environmental Project Officer Pius Gregory.

Spinifex pigeon (Geophaps plumifera)

Spinifex pigeon, (Geophaps plumifera)
Wilinggin IPA (Karunjie/Durack)
Spinifex pigeon, (Geophaps plumifera) Wilinggin Country, Karunjie Durack. © WWF-Australia / Wilinggin Aboriginal Corporation

Feast your eyes on this exclusive sensor camera snap of the elusive spinifex pigeon (Geophaps plumifera) strutting its stuff amidst the Kimberley landscape.

With its fabulous sandy browns and blues, the spinifex pigeon is rocking the desert fashion scene.

Wallaroo (Macropus robustus)

Euro/ Wallaroo (Osphranter robustus). Wilinggin IPA (Karunjie/Durack)
Euro/ Wallaroo (Osphranter robustus). Wilinggin Country, Karunjie Durack. © WWF-Australia / Wilinggin Aboriginal Corporation

The wallaroo (Macropus robustus) is seen here sniffing out our state of the art wildlife watcher!

With its chiselled features, the wallaroo is arguably a heartthrob of the outback scene, and now we've got the candid shots to prove it!

Pied butcherbird (Cracticus nigrogularis)

Pied butcherbird (Cracticus nigrogularis).
Wilinggin IPA (Karunjie/Durack)
Pied butcherbirds (Cracticus nigrogularis) fighting. Wilinggin Country, Karunjie Durack. © WWF-Australia / Wilinggin Aboriginal Corporation
Pied butcherbird (Cracticus nigrogularis).
Wilinggin IPA (Karunjie/Durack)
Pied butcherbirds (Cracticus nigrogularis) fighting. Wilinggin Country, Karunjie Durack. © WWF-Australia / Wilinggin Aboriginal Corporation

These feisty songbirds may seem placid when you spot them in your local nature reserve, but when it comes to protecting their turf, young and tucker, they don't always keep it classy! Their name ‘butcherbird’ is definitely a clue - they get their moniker from their 'etiquette-free' way of feeding. When butcherbirds hunt, they dangle their prey off branches or tree forks, then by using their super sharp beaks, hack or 'butcher' the meat away! Any leftover morsels are left hanging there to snack on later.

While the 'disagreement' caught here on sensor camera may have been a simple misunderstanding or territorial display, it also accurately reflects the tough reality of all species surviving and thriving in the Kimberley.

Short-beaked echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus)

Echinda caught on camera trap on Nyaliga Country
Short-beaked echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus) caught on sensor camera on Wilinggin Country, Karunjie Durack. © WWF-Australia / Wilinggin Aboriginal Corporation

You can't say ‘no echinda around’ in the Kimberley, no kidding around! Although short-beaked echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus) can be found all over the Kimberley, they are also not seen all that often. Luckily the Nyaliga Rangers' sensor camera was there to capture this unique sight!

Australian owlet-nightjar (Aegotheles cristatus)

Australian owlet-nightjar (Aegotheles cristatus)
Wilinggin IPA (Karunjie/Durack)
Australian owlet-nightjar (Aegotheles cristatus) Wilinggin Country, Karunjie Durack. © WWF-Australia / Wilinggin Aboriginal Corporation
Cropped camera trap image of Australian owlet-nightjar (Aegotheles cristatus) Wilinggin IPA (Karunjie/Durack)
Cropped sensor camera image of Australian owlet-nightjar (Aegotheles cristatus) Wilinggin Country, Karunjie Durack. © WWF-Australia / Wilinggin Aboriginal Corporation

This species may be known for its ability to turn heads (namely its own a whopping 270 degrees), but this Australian owlet-nightjar (Aegotheles cristatus) seems to know its best side!

Short-eared rock-wallaby (Petrogale brachyotis)

Short-eared rock-wallaby (Petrogale brachyotis).Wilinggin IPA (Karunjie/Durack)
Short-eared rock-wallaby (Petrogale brachyotis). Wilinggin Country, Karunjie Durack. © WWF-Australia / Wilinggin Aboriginal Corporation

Chin up! With its adorable compact ears and enchanting eyes, this short-eared wallaby knows how to strike a pose. No rock is too steep for this agile performer, who effortlessly leaps through rocky Wilinggin Country, Karunjie Durack like a pro.

Dunnart (Sminthopsis)

Dunnart species.
Wilinggin IPA (Karunjie/Durack)
Dunnart species. Wilinggin Country, Karunjie Durack. © WWF Australia / Wilinggin Aboriginal Corporation
Dunnart species showing its teeth on Kangaroo Island
Dunnart species on Kangaroo Island © Martin Stokes

Dunnart mess with this unassuming nighttime-loving marsupial - it's got chompers capable of grinding its prey into tiny little pieces. And if that wasn't enough, dunnarts are so cool they don't even need water to 'hydrate' - they get all their fluids from their meals! Dunnarts are a rare sight in the Kimberley, so this is a very special selfie indeed.

Cane toad (Rhinella marina)

Cane toad on Kimberley camera trap
Cane toad on Kimberley sensor camera © WWF-Australia / Wilinggin Aboriginal Corporation

NOT ON THE GUEST LIST - the cane toad (Rhinella marina) is famous for all the wrong reasons. Originally introduced to our shores to protect sugar cane crops from the cane beetle (Dermolepida albohirtum), cane toads are highly toxic to most animals if ingested. Despite tireless efforts to stall their arrival, they are now sadly calling the Kimberley home, which speaks to their ability to survive, thrive and, worst of all, travel. Several cane toads were caught on sensor cameras in this survey on Nyaliga Country.

The cane toad's ability to adapt to even the harshest environments is still being studied, but its prolificness is little surprise given that a female cane toad can lay up to 25,000 eggs at once, which can then be born (as a tadpole) in as little as 14 hours. One thing the cane toad is not so good at is climbing, which ironically made it ineffective at physically reaching and controlling the cane beetle. Sugar cane is taller than cane toads can jump. Who would have thought?

Bush stone-curlew (Burhinus grallarius)

Bush stone-curlew (Burhinus grallarius). Wilinggin IPA (Karunjie/Durack)
Bush stone-curlew (Burhinus grallarius). Wilinggin Country, Karunjie Durack. © WWF-Australia / Wilinggin Aboriginal Corporation

Front foot forward, then turn - this stone-curlew sure knows how to work the sensor cameras! This leggy, nocturnal bird has a voice synonymous with the outback's nighttime soundtrack. Its ‘weeloo’ refrain is hauntingly eerie, resembling a haunting and melancholic wailing call.

Greater black whipsnake (Demansia papuensis)

Greater black whipsnake (Demansia papuensis). Wilinggin IPA (Karunjie/Durack)
Greater black whipsnake (Demansia papuensis). Wilinggin Country, Karunjie Durack. © WWF-Australia / Wilinggin Aboriginal Corporation

From leggy to not-so-leggy, this greater black whipsnake (Demansia papuensis) was spotted and snapped slithering passed the camera on Wilinggin Country, Karunjie Durack. This striking species is distinguished by its very dark body and tapering tail, which like the head, is often copper-coloured. 

Now the Nyaliga Rangers and WWF-Australia Kimberley team have a clearer picture of the species that live on Wilinggin Country, Karunjie Durack; this will help shape their Healthy Country Plan to protect them and their home. You can find out more about the Nyaliga Rangers here.

Want to know more about First Peoples amazing conservation efforts? Visit the Caring on Country Hub.