Posted on 11/09/2004 7:45:26 PM PST by aculeus
A mother today described how her five-year-old daughter stepped between a dingo and her 14-week-old sister to save the baby from a possible attack on Queensland's Fraser Island.
Georgia Corke was alone in a hotel room with her baby sister Scarlett at a resort on the island last Friday when a dingo entered the room.
She stepped in front of the animal and began screaming for help from her parents, who were in the bathroom of the Kingfisher Bay eco-tourism resort which often has dingoes wandering through the grounds.
Mrs Corke today told ABC radio that Georgia defended her baby sister and raised the alarm when she saw the animal.
"My husband heard her shouting 'dingo, dingo'," Mrs Corke said.
"We ran into the bedroom, expecting to find the dingo out on the road or nearby, but not in the hotel room.
"We had our three-month-old baby lying on the bed and Georgia was standing in front of her - very bravely.
"The dingo was about two-foot away from the baby and yeah, it was quite nasty." AdvertisementAdvertisement
Mrs Corke said the dingo stood its ground until her husband chased it from the room.
She said it was impossible to say whether the dingo had been going for the baby or her other child.
"It was very interested, looking at them both," Mrs Corke said.
"It was over in a minute or two but I guess if neither of us were in the room, that would have been pretty awful."
The dingo has reportedly been identified and will be destroyed.
Fraser Island has a large population of pure bred dingoes and in 2001 nine-year-old Clinton Cage was mauled to death by a pack of dingoes on the island.
Kay Bishop, a spokeswoman for the resort, said there was no fence around the complex to keep dingoes out.
However there were plenty of warnings to people visiting the Queensland island, and dingoes were part of the attraction.
"On our catamarans going over to the island, when they get there on our ranger's tours and walks, and the meet and greet, people are told to be aware dingoes are on the island and that they are wild dogs and how to behave around them," Ms Bishop said.
She said the warnings included advice not to feed the dingoes and not to leave children alone.
- AAP
Eco-Tourism ...
Except that no one explained it to the critters.
I'm going to avoid the obvious Meryl Streep/Elaine-from-Seinfeld quote and say thanks to God. But why was the door open?
Someone will want to fine the toddler for disturbing wildlife.
Not me. "Maybe the dingo ate your baby."
That's one gutsy kid!
Further evidence to let Lindy Chamberlain off the hook.
"The Dingo is NOT going to eat my baby!!"
Brave girl.
That's what I was thinking. Weren't we told that dingo's don't attack people?
What?
Oh. Nevermind.
"George, I have an idea! Let's take the baby to an eco-tourism resort where dingoes roam freely!!"
"Great idea, Betty! I'll pack the soy products. You get the latest issue of Mother Jones, and off we'll go!"
In my view the parents are effing idiots. I hope they feel terrible that their stupidity has cost an innocent animal its life.
http://www.geocities.com/skizzy111/dingo.wav
Looks like a dog to me...my kids would want to pet it.
Now perhaps the warnings will be upgraded. . .'not to leave children alone - in the room. . .even while you go to the bathroom. . .'
Seems it would be even better; if they made this place for 'adults only'. . .healthy. . .ambulatory and fearless.
I sort of get the feeling that Dingoes get a bad rap. I don't think they are any more dangerous than any other pack of wild dogs. I suspect they would make excellent pets if they were raised in a household.
LOL
I think there's now bountiful evidence to prove otherwise.
"Someone will want to fine the toddler for disturbing wildlife."
...and thus, being responsible for the animal being destroyed. Some worse penalty I'm sure.
What a brave little girl. If I had a hat it would be off to her.
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