bk_blue Posted March 23, 2003 Posted March 23, 2003 http://news.ninemsn.com.au/National/story_34897.asp Dingo attack prompts new warning A new dingo attack has prompted a fresh warning to visitors to Queensland's Fraser Island to be very wary of the animals. Authorities say a British woman was nipped by an adult male dingo last weekend as she was retreating to her vehicle near Yidney Rocks, on the island's eastern shores. "The woman suffered only a slight bruise and grazing but it amply demonstrates visitors to Fraser Island should be wary especially this time of year," Queensland Environment Minister Dean Wells said. Mr Wells said visitors should be aware the dingoes were now entering the mating season which coincided with the Easter camping period and lasted until the end of May. "Adult dingoes are quite defensive of their territory and their pack at this time," Mr Wells said. The dingo involved in the incident would be destroyed by park rangers because it displayed a reduced fear of humans and could pose a danger in the future, Mr Wells said. Authorities were forced to address the issue of visitor safety to the island two years ago after the mauling death of nine-year-old Clinton Gage. The state government ordered a cull of the island's dingo population, fenced off camping areas and imposed hefty fines for feeding the animals. But despite the precautions the attacks continued, including one on a German tourist who was dragged along the ground by a dingo before fighting it off with a stick last June. Mr Wells said Fraser Island rangers had reported an increased number of minor interactions between dingoes and people in recent weeks. "Parents should not leave young children unattended and visitors should stay in groups," he said. Quote
DogPaddle Posted March 23, 2003 Posted March 23, 2003 We have the same problem with a rare black bear encounter here once in a while. Most black bears can be scared off by standing tall, waving arms, making noise and in general making an idiot of yourself. Some require more forceful deterent like stone throwing and a very rare wack on the nose with a stick. Black Bears are smart and aren't much interested in food that fights back. Small unnattended children, the extremely elderly (and feable) and someone pretty injured might be at risk but otherwise its the standard rules, don't get between a mother and her cub, don't go pestering them and no - you can't get your picture with one (safely.) People see a bear walking through their campsite and freak out (its not like their Grizzlies.) There have been cases of individuals bringing guns into Prov. Parks (illegal here most of the time) to "protect themselves from the bears", they cause alot of problems (the people not the bears.) Bears will raid coolers, cars sometimes, improperly kept campsites, food containers, fishing sites and compost bins (not much composting in many bear areas for this reason) but they are mostly harmless. More people have been killed in Algonquin Park by lightining than by bears in the last 10yrs, but some tourist looses his "big fish" (near his improperly discarded fish cleanings) and thinks he was about to be killed and everyone makes a big fuss about tracking down and killing the dangerouse bear! :bad-words: Doesn't happen with wolves here really as they are exceedingly shy of people. Quote
courtnek Posted March 23, 2003 Posted March 23, 2003 We have similar issues with Coyote's. Thye have moved back into the ample forest preserve area's around here, because the game is good (racoons, squirrels, possums, skunks, etc) but they usually stay well hidden in the woods and away from the picnic areas when people are around. They will raid the garbage after hours however...Some lady had her two small children there and let them go wandering off into the woods (and there is a creek back there!! Some people!!) And they came running back screaming thay had seen wolves. She got all up in arms and wanted all the coyotes killed immediately - made a big issue out of it. I signed multiple petitions about that. Leave the poor things alone - they werent bothering you and why did you let your kids wander off unattended anyway - even without the coyotes, they could have drowned in the creek! The forestry service now has signs in every preserve warning people that there are coyotes in the area and to keep pets and small children out of the woods unless supervised by an adult. And it's always been the law anyway that dogs had to be on a leash in the preserves. Coyotes tend to leave adults alone, but pets and children are easily caught. The red foxes have come back too, and believe it or not, the other day I saw a bald eagle!! Quote
Prairie_Gurl Posted March 23, 2003 Posted March 23, 2003 I never even thought that Dingos would be a "problem" in Austalia. Hmm. Never thought about it before, but I guess it is. Jez. Shows you how much I get around. LOL. In Montana (I'm originally from there) there are problems with bears, coyotes, and believe it or not squirls (sp) too. People, leave the wild animals alone. They are not pets!!! Uggh. People make me soo mad sometimes (wait-now how many of my posts have that same sentence on it?? lol) Quote
luckychaos Posted March 23, 2003 Posted March 23, 2003 I guess you wouldn't really call it a problem, but there was this one coyote in the dog park I got too. Its a huge park and theres tons of foxes but no other coyotes. Anyway this coyote used to come out and play with the other dogs just like a dog would. at first everyone thought she was a dog actually. But with the risk of rabies she couldnt stay so they moved her to the forest outside the city. Quote
DogPaddle Posted March 23, 2003 Posted March 23, 2003 Awww poor little coyote, bet she misses her freinds. Still at least they didn't have her PTS. Quote
courtnek Posted March 23, 2003 Posted March 23, 2003 she may have gotten seperated from her pack and was trying to join up with what she considered a "doggie pack"... I hope there were Coyotes at the other forest. They dont do real well alone and need the pack to survive... :( Quote
Prairie_Gurl Posted March 23, 2003 Posted March 23, 2003 Maybe I'm wrong, but ain't coyotes loners and only come together around mating?? Isn't it wolves that are the pack dogs??? I don't know. Maybe I'm wrong. One question: I know what it means but what does PTS stand for?? Quote
DogPaddle Posted March 23, 2003 Posted March 23, 2003 PTS - put to sleep And I thought coyotes were lone animals or seasonal small family group type animals too. Quote
courtnek Posted March 23, 2003 Posted March 23, 2003 they can be loners, their "packs" are usually just mother and pups, unless the food source is too big for a loner to handle. Then they kinda band together for survival. Around here they seem to be traveling in groups... and I think the reason is that they are hunting deer. Along with the smaller animals. We have a HUGE out of control deer population here. The governement will not allow them to be hunted, even in season, because the areas they migrated too also have people in them. (The forest preserves, mostly). They end up getting hit by cars on a regular basis during the fall and early winter, running across highways. So the coyotes have formed packs to hunt the larger animals. it's an adaptation from their usual way of life, but it appears to be working for them or they wouldnt have come back in the first place..... My neighbor had a deer jump through the window in her garage when it wandered into her yard and couldnt figure out how to get out.... Quote
Prairie_Gurl Posted March 25, 2003 Posted March 25, 2003 Put To Sleep. Easy. Not a technical word. LOL. Here I am thinking that each word is probably 14 letters long. Brain Block!!! *banging my head on the wall right now* lol OK. Now, that makes sence courtnek. I thought I was losing my mind for a sec there. Poor coyotes. Poor deer. *cry* Around here, there's a deer season in November (when it's freezin cold don't cha know?!). We have turkey problems. Turkeys come into neighborhoods and chase kids. I've been chased once when I was at my friends house. It was pretty scarry. I mean, I've been chased by many many things, but that turkey was like turkazila!!! He was trying to eat me!!! lol. Quote
courtnek Posted March 25, 2003 Posted March 25, 2003 I believe you - I was attacked by one long ago at a "thanksgiving revival" where they had turkeys wandering around the yards. It was a settler reinactment. Some people actually use turkeys (and pigs!!) as guard animals. They are definitely not over-friendly.... Llama's too..... I saw a show on a sheep farmer using llama's to guard the flock because they get ballistic when they see predators around... Quote
luckychaos Posted March 25, 2003 Posted March 25, 2003 Ya I was attacked by a turkey too :lol:. Every summer I go to my aunt and uncle's horse farm. They had a mean old turkey that they called Birdzilla, It used to chase me around every time I stepped out of the house. Until the first time I took Lucky to the farm, he took one look at the turkey chasing me and I swear must've said in his head "Holy cow that is the biggest chicken dinner Ive ever seen!!!" and proceded to chase it away. He also liked to chase me on horseback!!! Quote
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