That’s interesting Chris. When I lived in Alice Springs in the late-1970s, feral dogs were a continual problem in the poo ponds area. I had a few narrow escapes from very vicious animals. It appears the problem is long-standing, though I wasn’t aware of them killing birds at that time.
Greg Roberts
“Date: Sun, 23 Jan 2011 11:18:04 +0930
From: Chris Watson
Subject: [Birding-Aus] Dead swans at Alice Springs poo ponds – the
feral dog problems continue.
Message-ID:
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
G’day All,
Having narrowly avoided being attacked by a pack of four wild dogs recently when I turned up a little bit too early in the morning to look for the Australian Painted Snipe at Alice Poo Ponds, I can’t say I’m all that surprised.
It looks like we are starting to loose some of our resident swans to feral dogs which live next door around the Ilparpa Swamp.
http://comebirdwatching.blogspot.com/2011/01/dead-swans-at-alice-springs-se wage.html> http://comebirdwatching.blogspot.com/2011/01/dead-swans-at-alice-springs-sew age.html
Chris Watson
Alice Springs:”
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Comments
6 responses to “dogs at alice springs”
It won’t always stop a charging dog, particularly if it’s with a pack. But I used a similar technique when a colleague and I found ourselves confronted by a herd of wild horses, when we were carrying out biological surveys at a place called Mt Bundey (near Kakadu).
We were on a narrow path in the middle of a swamp when we heard them coming towards us through the rushes. They were so close that when I jumped up I could see their ears. My colleague thought we’d be trampled to death, but I’d spent quite a bit of my life around horses, and didn’t agree – they just didn’t know we were there. So I just jumped up and down screaming. The horses stopped dead in their tracks, wheeled and bolted in the other direction.
I had a much closer and more dangerous encounter with a bull buffalo that had a spread of horns comparable to Charlie in Crocodile Dundee I, but I’ll desist now, and let people get on with the business of discussing birds. Denise
on 24/1/11 1:26 PM, Simon Clayton at simon@birdrangers.com wrote:
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And do what if you see some? Leave?
And what motivates the attacks? Are they just being territorial, or do they actually intend eating you?
Peter Shute
href=”mailto:birding-aus-bounces@vicnet.net.au”>birding-aus-bounces@vicnet.net.au href=”mailto:comebirdwatching@gmail.com”>comebirdwatching@gmail.com href=”mailto:ninderry@westnet.com.au”>ninderry@westnet.com.au wrote: href=”mailto:birding-aus@vicnet.net.au”>birding-aus@vicnet.net.au href=”mailto:birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au”>birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au href=”mailto:birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au”>birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) href=”mailto:birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au”>birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au
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The dogs will attack and two friends who were in this unenviable situation told me they thought they would be killed.
I carry a length of reasonably heavy chain if alone in such areas. Swung fast around one’s head it’s a great deterrent (and lighter than a backpack of rocks!). Denise
on 24/1/11 10:51 AM, Peter Shute at pshute@nuw.org.au wrote:
href=”mailto:birding-aus-bounces@vicnet.net.au”>birding-aus-bounces@vicnet.net.au href=”mailto:comebirdwatching@gmail.com”>comebirdwatching@gmail.com href=”mailto:ninderry@westnet.com.au”>ninderry@westnet.com.au wrote: href=”mailto:birding-aus@vicnet.net.au”>birding-aus@vicnet.net.au href=”mailto:birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au”>birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au href=”mailto:birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au”>birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au
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Yes, that too! How are you? Denise
on 24/1/11 10:22 AM, Alan McBride at amcbride1@me.com wrote:
href=”mailto:ninderry@westnet.com.au”>ninderry@westnet.com.au wrote: href=”mailto:birding-aus@vicnet.net.au”>birding-aus@vicnet.net.au href=”mailto:birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au”>birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au href=”mailto:birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au”>birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au
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or pawprints;-)
feral dogs are a problem around Darwin and Palmerston too.
Birders in mangroves or wetlands or near beaches should keep an eye out for footprints. Denise
on 24/1/11 10:02 AM, Greg Roberts at ninderry@westnet.com.au wrote:
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feral dogs are a problem around Darwin and Palmerston too.
Birders in mangroves or wetlands or near beaches should keep an eye out for footprints. Denise
on 24/1/11 10:02 AM, Greg Roberts at ninderry@westnet.com.au wrote:
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