Arabic version: آباء دامبيير يشعرون بالقلق بعد رؤية الدنغو بالقرب من المدرسة
Parents in Dampier are concerned for their children’s safety following dingo sightings near Dampier Primary School. The animals have been seen near the town’s primary school and attacks have been reported in Karijini National Park. According to ABC News, local wildlife advocates have downplayed the risk associated with these animals.
The City of Karratha has confirmed a dingo captured locally has been euthanased, prompting the school to implement measures to ensure student safety. Parents have voiced their worries about allowing their children to walk around town independently. Phil Shiner, a father from Dampier, noted that he had seen dingoes during the day at the end of his street and questioned the safety of letting his children play outside.
Laura Dent, whose four-year-old son attends the primary school, described the situation as “pretty scary” and mentioned that many parents are feeling stressed due to the proximity of the dingoes to the school. In response to the sightings, the school has prohibited children from playing on the oval and is keeping them indoors during lunch breaks. Parents have also been asked to pick up their children directly from school.
City of Karratha regulatory services manager Simon Hubbard stated that the origin of the dingoes remains unclear, but there may be a readily available food source in Dampier attracting them. Ecologist Trish Fleming from Murdoch University suggested that the increase in dingo sightings could be due to a successful breeding season or a group of animals passing through the area.
The recent euthanasia of a dingo in Karijini National Park following attacks on small children sparked outrage on social media. While some locals support the need to remove dingoes from urban areas, others, including wildlife enthusiasts, express sadness over the decision to euthanise the animal despite no attacks or aggression being reported. Rose Best, chair of the Pilbara Wildlife Carers Association, emphasized that local dingoes are often misunderstood and generally pose less of a threat than other wildlife.
