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In the heart of Karijini National Park, located roughly 250 kilometers south of Port Hedland, licensed rangers have taken to the park with the authority to eliminate dangerous wildlife. This response comes as a precautionary measure, with certain animals posing a threat and remaining unaccounted for overnight.
Recent unsettling footage has emerged, capturing bold dingoes as they encircle the Dales Gorge Campground, causing an understandable stir among those camping in the area.
“Everything seems more frightening after dark, and for the first time, our kids were genuinely scared,” recounted camper Drue Ballantyne. This sentiment was shared by many who found themselves in the same predicament.
Drue’s family, consisting of five members, endured a restless night, huddled together in their swag, wary of the lurking danger. As tensions rose, they took proactive steps to ensure their safety.
“One of the dingoes attempted to breach our swags,” Drue explained. “My partner quickly grabbed a headtorch and a long stick, using them to keep the animal at bay. He shouted ‘Oi,’ and thankfully, that was enough to make it retreat.”
In the past week alone, there’ve been three dingo attacks at the remote campsite.
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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