Two women have been fined over $1,500 each in Queensland, Australia for dangerously taking selfies with dingoes. These native wild dogs have recently been involved in attacks on humans.
One of the women posed for a selfie lying down next to a pack of sleeping dingo pups on Fraser Island. The other tourist filmed herself interacting with the dingoes, which seemed agitated and aggressive. The women were reported to authorities by members of the public who saw their social media posts with the animals.
The fines were deemed necessary for violating “dingo safety” rules that were clearly outlined to tourists.
The investigation conducted by the Queensland Government’s Department of Environment and Science concluded that the women had acted recklessly and put themselves in danger. Mike Devery, the compliance manager, emphasized that they were fortunate to have not been attacked by the dingoes.
He expressed disbelief that anyone would risk the safety of themselves and the animals in this way. One of the images provided by the department showed a woman lying near a pack of sleeping dingo pups. Devery pointed out that she was fortunate the mother of the pups wasn’t nearby as they are protective of their young.
The other woman, in a selfie video posted on social media, could be seen with a growling dingo. Devery stated that the woman was lucky not to have been bitten as the dingo was exhibiting dominant behavior.
He stressed the importance of treating these wild animals with respect and caution. The fines were imposed as a means of emphasizing the seriousness of the situation and ensuring that such unsafe interactions would not be repeated.
These fines follow an incident earlier this month where a woman was attacked by three dingoes on the same island and had to be airlifted to a hospital. She suffered severe injuries to her limbs.
The Department of Environment and Science has revealed that the recent increase in dingo attacks on humans can be attributed to tourists taking selfies with the animals and feeding them.
It is necessary for both tourists and locals to understand the importance of maintaining a safe distance and avoiding any form of interaction that could put them or the animals at risk.