Two women have been fined $1500 for taking ‘dangerous’ selfies with dingoes, Australia’s wild dogs, also called wongari. The incident happened on K’gari, also known as Fraser Island, on the South Eastern coast of Queensland.
Following tip-offs from concerned members of the public, the Department of Environment and Science (DES) conducted an investigation that resulted in a $2,300 AUD Penalty Infringement Notice (PIN) for each of the women involved.
The first woman, a 29-year-old from New South Wales, recklessly decided to get too close to three sleeping pups. Such a choice could have easily angered the pups’ mother, leading to potentially dire consequences. Dingoes are known for fiercely protecting their packs and young.
The second woman, a 25-year-old from Queensland, was reported after posting images and videos of her interaction with the wild dogs on social media. This act caught the attention of the authorities as it posed a significant threat to both the woman and the wild animals. Dingoes are not to be underestimated; they are wild creatures and must be treated respectfully and cautiously.
Mike Devery, the Compliance Manager, emphasized the dangerous nature of these interactions, saying, “Both women have made an extremely dangerous decision to interact with wongari, and that’s why they have been fined. The Queensland woman could have been bitten by the wongari, which was clearly exhibiting dominance-testing behaviour. It is not playful behaviour,” he added, “Wongari are wild animals and need to be treated as such, and the woman is lucky the situation did not escalate.”
He pointed out that approaching the animals without understanding the potential risks involved is irresponsible and puts both humans and the dingoes at risk.
Senior Ranger Linda Behrendorff highlighted the importance of maintaining a safe distance from wongari. As most of K’gari consists of bushland, the animals have ample space to live, hunt, and raise their pups without human interference. However, when people interact with them, it can lead to habituation.
“Unfortunately, wongari that venture near the public areas can become quickly habituated,” Ms Behrendorff said, “and one interaction can be the start of wongari becoming habituated because they lose their natural wariness of people.”
Animal selfies have caused problems in Yellowstone National Park in the USA, with tourists continually getting too close to bison and other wild animals. This increases the chances of injury and, of course, death and causes unnecessary stress on the animals.
[Via Petapixel]
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