"Death Row" dingoes disappear
Port Douglas Dingoes
Port Douglas’s “death row” dingoes are still alive, despite suggestions posted by community members that they believe council rangers had removed them on New Year’s Eve “while everyone was at the fireworks’’.
Mayor Lisa Scomazzon last night - Wednesday, January 15 - put rumours to rest.
“Council can confirm it hasn’t euthanised the two Port Douglas dingoes,’’ she told Newsport.
“Our biosecurity team has not seen the dingoes for at least a week.”
Responding to a letter by dingo advocate Pauline Halsall about concerns for Douglas Shire wildlife being impacted by the use of 1080 baits being used to target wild dogs, reader Mandy Jason Wasley suggested the dingoes had been captured and possibly killed.
“Has anyone seen the dingoes? I last heard council removed one, maybe a second, on New Year's night while everyone was at the fireworks. Hoping it was a rumour not the truth.”
Adding to the speculation, Flick Boucher responded: “No I haven’t seen the two that I would regularly see. I would slow down each work morning and say hi as I’d drive by them.’’
Both of the comment contributors have weighed into the conversation on stories following the Port Douglas dingoes saga since December 9 when Newsport shared a photograph by wildlife advocate Rosie Wang of the bold young dingoes mixing among traffic in the town.
Profile Mandy Jason Wasley has been as bold with their comments: “When can we start culling humans.. ‘cause some are worse than animals’’ and "killing two harmless dingoes will be a disgrace just because of people feeding them ‘cause they probably look underweight’’.
Their comments also mix with those of self-proclaimed Dingo Warrior Jen Parker, from Victoria, who declared she was preparing to travel to Port Douglas to fight for the protection of dingoes in the region and educate the community on how to live with them.
Ms Parker has not responded to Newsport since her promise on Boxing Day, following a reported attack by the two dingoes in Port Douglas Sporting Complex on two domestic dogs being walked in the public reserve on the morning of Christmas Day.
Local contact, Pauline Halsall, said she also had not had a response from Ms Parker in recent times, and Queensland's Durong Dingo Sanctuary boss Simon Stretton suggests it unlikely Biosecurity Queensland would allow the relocation of the dingoes.
Ms Parker reacted swiftly to the reports of the Christmas Day attack on two pet dogs taking to Newsport’s Facebook page immediately to say the attack was “false claims’’.
“They will not come up when someone is walking a dog and attack,’’ Ms Parker said.
“It’s not their behaviour.’’
At the time, Ms Halsall threw her hopes and support behind Ms Parker saying she backed her 100 per cent.
“This could be a start. Jen Parker has over 40 years working with dingoes and we should all listen and learn from her,’’ she said.
“We need signs telling the public and especially out of towners saying do not feed the dingoes, do not give them water. Give them space.’’
Petition to protect dingoes hits 1260 signatures
As community concern grows for the welfare of two dingoes that frequent Port Douglas Sports Complex and have been confirmed to have attacked two pet dogs being walked in the park on Christmas Day, a community petition launched on Newsport by wildlife advocate Rosie Wang has hit 1260 signatures.
The petition, Let Sleeping Dingoes Live... Oppose Capturing and Killing - SIGN THE PETITION calls for: The immediate removal of traps targeting dingoes in Port Douglas; A shift in Council policy away from automatic baiting and killing - a strategy of relocation if they are invading public spaces; Increased public education on safely coexisting with dingoes.
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