In Karijini National Park, approximately 250 kilometers from Port Hedland, rangers authorized to euthanize dangerous animals were on high alert as problematic dingoes roamed freely overnight.
Footage has surfaced showing fearless dingoes prowling around the Dales Gorge Campground.
“Everything seems more intimidating in the dark, and for the first time, the kids felt truly frightened,” shared camper Drue Ballantyne.
Drue’s family of five endured a restless night, all squeezed together in a swag for safety.
“The dingo tried to penetrate the swags, but my partner used his headlamp and a long stick to maintain a safe distance, shouted ‘Oi,’ and it eventually backed off,” she recounted.
Over the past week, the secluded campsite has witnessed three separate dingo attacks.
On Wednesday night, a four-year-old girl was bitten on the leg and her mother was nipped trying to protect her.
Both were taken to Tom Price Hospital in the nearby town of the same name.
On Monday, a six-year-old who was bitten on the neck and arm also needed hospital treatment.
Last Saturday, a six-year-old girl approached by an aggressive dingo had her clothing nipped but escaped unhurt.
“They can become habituated and can get quite dangerous in places where they learn to associate people with food and people don’t want to give up that food,” Ecosure dingo expert Dr Benjamin Allen said.
Rangers are now conducting nightly patrols aiming to track down the problem dingoes and humanely destroy them.Â
“Campers travelling with young children will be offered the option of relocating to another campground within the park,” WA Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions spokesperson Hamish Robertson said.
It’s not the first time dingoes have been an issue inside Karijini. Three years ago a toddler was mauled and left with serious injuries.
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