Locals have been left heartbroken after one of the last healthy dingos near a small town was shot and killed. 

Warrigal, a two-year-old female dingo, was shot at a tip near Coral Bay, Western Australia, researcher Brinkley Davies confirmed on Thursday.

The wildlife researcher and not-for-profit charity worker had been following Warrigal’s movements due to her importance to the local dingo population.

Ms Davies said the shooting was carried out by a paid dogger.

‘This senseless act happened just 800m from the town centre on public land,’ she said.

‘A firearm was discharged with no respect for Warrigal, her body, or our work. We weren’t notified and couldn’t take a DNA sample.’

‘Warrigal wasn’t a threat. She was one of the few dingoes without mange – hunting, playing, and exploring – bringing hope to her species.’

The small community of Coral Bay was left devastated by the shooting.

Celebrity dingo Warrigal was shot and killed in a tip at Coral Bay, WA, locals said

‘She was a beacon of hope for our project, respected by locals and tourists,’ Ms Davies said.

Locals recalled their interactions with the animal over the years.

‘I saw this dingo outside town; it ran alongside my car and was so chill. This is horrendous,’ one wrote on social media.

‘When will the government preserve life and not kill it?’

‘Absolutely devastating and heartbreaking. It’s time to push a change to legislation and police about dingoes,’ another said.

Dingoes like Warrigal can provide insights into their affect on the natural environment – including how they can reduce and manage feral cat populations.

The animals only give birth to a litter once a year, and Coral Bay’s dingo population is now uncertain, according to Ms Davies.

The native wild dogs are protected in Western Australia and cannot be killed on public or Crown land without the relevant approvals.

Killing a dingo without appropriate justification or incentive is also outlawed.

Diver and Wildlife researcher Brinkley Davies said the dingo was vital for its species in the area

Ms Davies claimed an employee at the tip heard a gunshot and saw the dog’s body before the dogger carried it away.

She said she spoke with the local council and Western Australia’s Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attraction to understand why the animal was shot dead.

She is now searching for answers.

‘We want to know why she was shot. We want to know why a firearm was allowed to be discharged in a public place, that’s 800 metres from town,’ Ms Davies told Yahoo.

‘Why, if there was an issue with Warrigal, were other options not explored first?

She said the community loved the dog.

‘She was a huge highlight in a lot of people’s days. And Coral Bay is such a small place, and so a connection like that with an animal that’s wild and not doing anyone any harm, is a really special part of living somewhere like this.’

The Shire of Carnarvon said it was investigating the matter and requested patience from the public.

They insisted the council was not involved in the killing.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted the Shire of Carnarvon for comment.