Students at Wilsons Creek Public School were greeted by a grizzly site last Friday, when they arrived to see the remains of a young wallaby that had been attacked and killed by a feral dog.
Parent and locally based documentary maker David Bradbury says he witnessed the marsupial ‘being eaten by wild dog the size of an Alsatian’ last Friday at around 5.45am.
‘I was about 30 metres away from the dog who was gnawing at the young wallaby’s back after it must have jumped it while it was nibbling on the school lawn,’ he told Echonetdaily.
‘I was upwind and it was dark so the dog didn’t spot me but he must have sensed my presence. The dog stopped as I quietly came down my track in the predawn light. I was in dark clothes that blended in. I didn’t move and I was hidden from its view by trees and foliage,’ he added.
‘It must have sensed my presence. It stopped ripping away at the poor young wallaby’s back, its entrails spilling onto the ground… and then padded away again into the bushes after briefing pausing on its way to survey the scene for danger, not spotting me still,’ Mr Bradbury said.
School Principal Will Constable said he had placed a call to council ‘as per the Department of Education protocol’.
‘An officer from Byron Shire Council on Monday assured me he was going to forward it on to the appropriate authority,’ Mr Constable said.
‘I didn’t see the dog and have had no reports of dogs that have escaped, so assume it was a feral animal.
‘Some of the kids were concerned about what had happened. We had a chat about it and gave them a chance to talk about how they were feeling. We talked about appropriate ways to manage this sort of thing,’ Mr Constable added.
Byron Shire Council’s director of sustainable environment and economy, Shannon Burt, said a message was left by the school asking for advice.
‘Council has undertaken for a number of years a wild dog program in autumn and winter, prior to the spring breeding season.
‘However, the Local Land Services are the responsible authority for wild dog management,’ Ms Burt said
Further information on their services can be found on the LLS website.
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