A Byron local says a dead wallaby found on Belongil beach last Saturday had all the hallmarks of a dog attack, and is calling on the public to be more vigilant and for authorities to step up to help protect native wildlife.
Steve Medcalf told The Echo that he found dog prints surrounding the wallaby’s body, which ‘had its neck chewed out and the poor body disembowelled’.
‘I am a resident of Sunrise, and have been for the past 20-odd years, and take daily walks along Elements beach’.
‘Unfortunately, there have been a number of previous similar incidents involving dogs chasing and attacking wallabies, as well as other native wildlife including nesting shorebirds. There was actually an incident with two dogs which I witnessed, which was published in The Echo back in 2019’.
Met with hostility
‘I continue to see dogs off the leash frequently while on my walks near Elements beach. I have approached owners (who are of all ages) on many occasions explaining that dogs are banned here and why (so as to protect wildlife) and I tend to be met with hostility.
‘I’m largely ignored and they continue to walk their dogs off the leash around the sand dunes and down onto the beach’.
Medcalf says that despite a move to tighten up compliance around dogs, ‘so far, I am yet to see any ranger or Council member at our end of town to indicate Council are addressing the issue’.
‘If it is a wild dog attack (as some have questioned), then I think that National Parks should be involved and distribute 1080 baits’.
On September 19, Council published a media release: Tide turning on responsible dog ownership in Byron Shire, in which it said, ‘Ten months on from the launch of Council’s Dogs in Public Spaces Strategy, increased enforcement and more education and signage is helping people to do the right thing when they’re out and about with their dogs and at our Shire’s dog beaches and foreshore areas’.
Manager Public and Environmental Services, Sarah Nagel, said, ‘While we cannot be everywhere at once, our approach is to ensure our patrols include an element of surprise’.
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