Bob Irwin's dingo watch | Fraser Coast News | Local News in Fraser Coast
Bob Irwin's dingo watch
Bob Irwin.
THE plight of the Fraser Island dingo is an emerging priority for Bob Irwin, the renowned conservationist has revealed.
Mr Irwin, father of legendary crocodile hunter Steve, says he is disgusted by the “atrocity” that is the treatment of Fraser Island's dingoes.
He said he could understand why such stringent regulations were in place to limit human contact with the native dogs, but described the laws as “heavy-handed”.
“Nobody should have to walk past an animal that's starving and the Fraser Island dingos are emaciated,” he said.
“I don't like to see any animals disfigured or starving and a solution has to be found.”
Mr Irwin, 70, is recovering from a heart attack last March, an event that prompted him to take stock of his life.
He said his major focus now was promoting environmental conservation and caring for sick and injured wildlife at his home.
For him dingoes are natural scavengers and should be allowed to walk the beaches feeding on fish frames and other waste.
He said feeding stations could be an option but that would only be as a last resort.
“The dingoes didn't create the problem, humans did.
“One thing that also disturbs me is the tagging of the dingoes. It folds their ears over and affects their senses.
“It's a man-made disfigurement.”
He said it was vital the dingoes remained on the island and, if a breeding program was introduced, that it took place there.
“I'm not in favour of animals being removed from their habitat.
“Fraser Island dingoes belong on Fraser Island.”
Mr Irwin was adamant most Australians did not realise how terrible the country's environmental record was.
“We've got to clean up our own back yards before we start telling other countries what is right and wrong,” Bob said.
“I think whaling is abhorrent, but it is very hypocritical for the Australian government to tell the Japanese to stop whaling when in Australia, we support the world's largest wildlife slaughter, the kangaroo industry.
“We need to go back to the earth and start to take responsibility so there is still gorgeous wildlife for future generations.
“Animals have just as many rights as we do.”
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Posted by binlarfin from Maryborough, Queensland
07 June 2010 8:22 a.m. | Suggest removal » | Post reply »
The static population needs to be maintained at ca 200 based on the pack areas and available food resources .
It is also time for the LNP and the preservation society to stop milking the issue and start creating a policy for the preservation of the species on the mainland , by having the Land Protection Act 2002 , ( which is an oxymoron in respect of Dingos ) changed by removing the listing of the Dingo as a pest.
The argument about genetic purity is 'purely scientific ', why should the FI packs be more or less iconic ?, we know the mainland packs are less iconic because they are targetted by a an extermination policy sanctioned by the LNP .
Why protect the FI cohort ? , so that we can eventually translocate them to the mainland to be exterminated ?
We need to decide which is the greater priority , the survival of the dingo , or the regional tourism economy from Fraser Island . We cant have both .
Posted by MindiKua from Lower Plenty, Victoria
07 June 2010 8:31 a.m. | Suggest removal » | Post reply »
Congratulations to Bob Irwin, telling it how it is? Strangly there are now unconfirmed reports that rangers are feeding dingoes, yes, feeding dingoes, in preparation for a visit by Ms Jones. So perhaps the rangers are actually becoming concerned about the state of these protected animals.
Posted by RainbowBeach from Inskip, Queensland
07 June 2010 10:03 a.m. | Suggest removal » | Post reply »
In early 2003 there were just 22 feral horses/brumbies remaining on Fraser Island, down from about 200. Brumbies were removed from the southern part of F.I (fraser island) & later further within F.I.There are now no cattle, sheep or goats on F.I, all have been there at times in the past. Those sources of 'feral feed' sustained the dingo's.
In the late 1970s many feral cattle were eradicated as part of Australia’s TB-Brucellosis eradication
campaign. Parvo virus spread from domestic dogs to the dingo population in the late 70s, with devastating impact on dingo numbers.
It seems to me these are just a few facts which help
me understand that it is human interaction from the
start in addition with ongoing failure by local or state departments to implement a workable program to
protect a protected species, the dingos are soon to
be finished forever. And once again the food chain
breaks down inheriting further enviromental problems
down the track.
Now in my opinion it seems that tourism $$$ is more important than preserving wildlife such as the dingo's.
For the record i am not a greenie, just concerned that
as time goes by, no solution, no food, those dingos
which are a major attraction to Fraser will be gone
once & for all, denying future generations of locals
& tourists any chance, of ever seeing a F.I dingo again.
Posted by RainbowBeach from Inskip, Queensland
07 June 2010 10:40 a.m. | Suggest removal » | Post reply »
Furthermore...
The brumbies roam about from Inskip pt to rainbow
shores resort feeding on the lush golf greens while
no one gives a stuff about them (except for night time-
motorists near running into them on local roads)
The brumbies look very well fed in comparison to the
occasional rib jutting starved dingo that heads my way.
If an when a dingo comes into the same areas then
they are trapped/relocated/or possibly shot??
When will someone relocate these brumbies from town and give the dingos an aussie fair go?