The way in which the aggressive behaviour of some dingoes is blamed on the travellers who feed them is just one example of how human interaction with wildlife can have negative consequences.
As more and more grey nomads head into the Outback, moral dilemmas in this regard are inevitable. There’s the injured wildlife and birdlife that are seen by the roadside, the snakes that invade camp space, and – of course – the emaciated dingo that prowls around outside the caravan or motorhome. At some stage or another, travellers have done the ‘wrong thing’ when confronted by these circumstances.
And then there are travellers who get too close to animals in order take photos or ‘selfies’, or to touch, or even to help.
But how do well-meaning travellers know what is the ‘right thing’ to do?
A traveller on the Nullarbor recently earned widespread praise for stopping to save an injured wedge-tailed eagle that had been struck by a truck. In the United States, though, a father and son have been widely condemned for loading what they thought was a freezing bison calf into the boot of their car in an ill-fated rescue attempt.
The pair drove the bison to a ranger station in Wyoming’s iconic Yellowstone National Park … but their attempted good deed went horribly wrong. In a statement, the park said the newborn calf had to be euthanised because its mother had rejected it as a result of the ‘interference by people’.
Yellowstone officials said it was not unusual for bison calves separated from their mothers to starve to death or be killed by predators … and that was just part of the cycle of life.
“In Yellowstone, it’s not a zoo,” said a spokeswoman. “We don’t manage for individuals; we manage for ecosystems.”
The park’s statement said wildlife interactions were dangerous and illegal. Yellowstone regulations require visitors stay at least 25 metres away from all wildlife, including bison, and 100 metres away from wolves and bears.
The misguided Good Samaritans have been fined $110, and the National Parks Investigative Service is considering further charges.
* Have you ever faced a wildlife interaction dilemma? Would you ever remove an injured animal or bird from a national park? Comment below.
