Dingo mauls toddler in national park
- Replies 3
A mother’s love truly knows no bounds. But it would certainly take one of the bravest mothers to do what a woman from Western Australia did to ensure her toddler's safety.
It was just a normal evening in Karijini National Park, 1,500 km north of Perth. Little did this unsuspecting mum know that this would soon turn into a life-or-death situation.
The family trip to the remote national park turned into a nightmare when a toddler was attacked by a wild animal. Luckily, his brave mum quickly sprang into action.
His mother ‘courageously’ fought off the wild animal and saved her child’s life.
The two-year-old boy sustained serious but non-life-threatening injuries in the aftermath. Luckily, he quickly recovered and has since been released from Tom Price Hospital, according to the WA Country Health Service.
West Australian Premier Mark McGowan praised the woman for her bravery and described the incident as a ‘very rare event’ during a media conference last Sunday.
‘The little boy was hurt and was taken to Tom Price Hospital…his injuries have been attended to, and he’s been released, which is great news,’ he said.
‘His mother courageously fought off the dingo, so she deserves our congratulations, and she is obviously a very brave person,’ Mr McGowan continued.
‘But the dingo itself, I’m advised if [rangers] can find the dingo, they’ll destroy the dingo.’
Parks and Wildlife Service rangers spent the weekend trying to find and trap the wild dog.
‘The safety of visitors is our number one priority,’ they said in a statement.
‘Due to the aggressive behaviour of the dingo and the fact that it has remained at the campground following the incident, rangers are preparing to humanely destroy the animal as soon as a safe opportunity presents,’ they continued.
The rangers also shared they weren’t aware of another attack in that part of Karijini, which is a rugged national park half the size of Sydney.
‘Signage and information at Dales Campground warn visitors that dingoes may be present and provides dingo safety advice,’ they shared.
In a separate statement released last week, the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation, and Attractions stated that the dingo had not been seen during patrols over the weekend and remained ‘at large’.
‘Rangers were required to leave Dales Campground [on] Sunday afternoon to attend a separate, unrelated incident within Karijini National Park,’ the statement said.
They added that the campground hosts at Dales Campground are continuing their operations and greeting new guests. They are providing useful information to the visitors about dingoes and the necessary safety precautions they should be aware of.
They were also advised to report any dingo sightings immediately.
The City of Karratha released a statement warning residents and visitors of the dingoes living in WA. The warning mentioned that the wild animals had been seen in parks, such as Karijini and Cape Range national parks, and are regularly seen near Karratha.
‘Dingoes may overturn eskies, raid rubbish bags, take food from picnic tables and tents and drink available water – including grey water from dishes. While searching for food or water, dingoes may harass and intimidate people. Fines for feeding dingoes apply,’ the warning stated.
They also advised residents and visitors to:
Her family members were able to free her from the wild dog’s grasp, but the child received bites to her head and fingers.
Rescuers were able to provide first aid and stabilise the little girl’s condition before she was airlifted to a hospital. Rangers are now investigating the incident.
Have you ever encountered a wild animal on a trip? What did you do? Tell us about it in the comments below!
It was just a normal evening in Karijini National Park, 1,500 km north of Perth. Little did this unsuspecting mum know that this would soon turn into a life-or-death situation.
The family trip to the remote national park turned into a nightmare when a toddler was attacked by a wild animal. Luckily, his brave mum quickly sprang into action.
His mother ‘courageously’ fought off the wild animal and saved her child’s life.
The two-year-old boy sustained serious but non-life-threatening injuries in the aftermath. Luckily, he quickly recovered and has since been released from Tom Price Hospital, according to the WA Country Health Service.
Dingos can be aggressive towards humans. Credit: Shutterstock
West Australian Premier Mark McGowan praised the woman for her bravery and described the incident as a ‘very rare event’ during a media conference last Sunday.
‘The little boy was hurt and was taken to Tom Price Hospital…his injuries have been attended to, and he’s been released, which is great news,’ he said.
‘His mother courageously fought off the dingo, so she deserves our congratulations, and she is obviously a very brave person,’ Mr McGowan continued.
‘But the dingo itself, I’m advised if [rangers] can find the dingo, they’ll destroy the dingo.’
Parks and Wildlife Service rangers spent the weekend trying to find and trap the wild dog.
‘The safety of visitors is our number one priority,’ they said in a statement.
‘Due to the aggressive behaviour of the dingo and the fact that it has remained at the campground following the incident, rangers are preparing to humanely destroy the animal as soon as a safe opportunity presents,’ they continued.
The rangers also shared they weren’t aware of another attack in that part of Karijini, which is a rugged national park half the size of Sydney.
‘Signage and information at Dales Campground warn visitors that dingoes may be present and provides dingo safety advice,’ they shared.
It’s illegal to keep purebred dingoes as pets. Credit: Shutterstock
In a separate statement released last week, the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation, and Attractions stated that the dingo had not been seen during patrols over the weekend and remained ‘at large’.
‘Rangers were required to leave Dales Campground [on] Sunday afternoon to attend a separate, unrelated incident within Karijini National Park,’ the statement said.
They added that the campground hosts at Dales Campground are continuing their operations and greeting new guests. They are providing useful information to the visitors about dingoes and the necessary safety precautions they should be aware of.
They were also advised to report any dingo sightings immediately.
The City of Karratha released a statement warning residents and visitors of the dingoes living in WA. The warning mentioned that the wild animals had been seen in parks, such as Karijini and Cape Range national parks, and are regularly seen near Karratha.
Remember these safety tips! Image credit: The Seniors Discount Club
‘Dingoes may overturn eskies, raid rubbish bags, take food from picnic tables and tents and drink available water – including grey water from dishes. While searching for food or water, dingoes may harass and intimidate people. Fines for feeding dingoes apply,’ the warning stated.
They also advised residents and visitors to:
- Never feed dingoes and wild dogs;
- Never leave children unsupervised;
- Never offer food to dingoes for photographs;
- Lock up food stores and cool boxes and keep them in your vehicles;
- Pack away food scraps and rubbish and secure them in your vehicle; and
- Put away shoes, clothing, toiletries, and camping equipment.
Her family members were able to free her from the wild dog’s grasp, but the child received bites to her head and fingers.
Rescuers were able to provide first aid and stabilise the little girl’s condition before she was airlifted to a hospital. Rangers are now investigating the incident.
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