From magpies, wombats to miner birds — here are some headline-making Aussie animal attacks
Ever been swooped by magpies, chased by dogs or ganged-up on by geese? Dangerous animals are all around us in Australia — so here’s a list of the craziest animal attacks to ever make the news. 36 DAYS TO GO.
Lifestyle
Don't miss out on the headlines from Lifestyle. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Six weeks stuck at home seems like a lifetime right now, but we’ve got you covered for daily entertainment.
Lockdown Life, a digital subscriber special, will give you a five minute brain break each day from coronavirus, and also arm you with some handy tips on keeping the family busy with movies to watch and bike rides to enjoy, and the adults well stocked with wine and recipes ideas — just to name a few.
So keep an eye out each lunchtime online.
Today we share some unexpected savage animal attacks that have made the news.
Most of the time animals are our friends or star in adorable viral videos that brighten our day.
But they have also been known to launch unexpected, savage attacks on humans — and it’s not always the usual suspects who do the most damage.
WOMBAT GOES ON MAULING SPREE
A family was left distraught and bleeding after a wombat charged at them on July 6 near their Dubbo home in New South Wales.
The clan of self-confessed animal lovers used to raise wombats to star as Fatso on TV series A Country Practice, and couldn’t believe the normally peaceful beasts could turn on them.
Victim Jeanette Ambrose, who sustained bite wounds on her leg, told The Daily Telegraph the creature suddenly charged at her and her daughter Kim.
“He bowled me over and I was yelling at her to stay away and call for help and this wombat just started gouging into my leg,” she said.
The sustained attack, in which the marsupial mauled several of her family members, went on until the wombat was killed.
“FRIENDLY” SEA LION SAVAGES TOURIST
A young woman was swimming at the aptly named Seals’ Rocks in Geraldton in Western Australia earlier this year when she was savagely attacked by a sea lion.
The 25-year-old backpacker was inaccurately told by locals that the creatures of the deep were “friendly”, according to media reports.
The surprised swimmer said she saw the sea lion had immediately drawn blood, and panicked when she realised she was surrounded by at least five of the animals.
“The pain was shock — I couldn’t really feel thanks to the adrenaline, but I couldn’t swim to get out of the water,” she told 7 News.
The tourist ended up forking out $4000 to get treated for the bites in hospital.
SNAKE GOES FOR GROIN AT HIGH SPEED ATTACK
A Queensland man recently made headlines after a snake attempted to bite his groin while driving at high speed.
Jimmy, from Gladstone, was driving at more than 100km/h when he saw the highly venomous brown snake in his ute.
He used a knife to battle the serpent as it “wrapped around” him and staged an attack on the more elusive trouser-snake.
“Its head started to strike at the seat and between my legs,” he said.
Jimmy won the battle against the reptile and threw its corpse in the back of his ute before police pulled him over for erratic driving.
FEARSOME FEATHERED FOE TERRORISES CRANBOURNE POSTIE
A magpie with a vendetta created a flap in spring 2018, after video of its savage attack on a postman surfaced online.
The footage shows the determined magpie following a Cranbourne postie, swooping at least five times in the relentless attack.
Though magpies are known to swoop passers-by to protect their eggs and young, only 10 per cent of them actually swoop, according to researchers.
While the attacks are normally scary rather than painful, a brush with a magpie can leave unsuspecting walkers or cyclists bleeding or worse.
NOT-SO-‘MINER’ THREAT TO MELBOURNE CYCLIST
Magpies aren’t the only birds ruffling feathers in Melbourne. A group of miner birds ganged up and terrorised a Chelsea woman in November last year.
Elizabeth Ireson was set upon by a gang of miner birds and knocked off her bike.
The feathered menaces were responsible for a string of attacks in Bicentennial Park in Melbourne’s southeast over the nesting season last year.
In one instance, two siblings were attacked in the face by a flock by riding.
Birdlife Bayside treasurer and bird expert Paul Foxworthy said miners were known to be aggressive and should not to be confused with similar sounding Indian mynas.
“(The miners) are protected native Australian honeyeaters and are well known for (aggressive) behaviour,” he said.
REAL LIFE CROC DUNDEE MAKES HEROIC ESCAPE
A Queensland wildlife ranger made a miraculous escape from a crocodile.
Craig Dickmann had been fishing on the Cape York Peninsula and was packing up his equipment when a nearly three-metre long crocodile lunged at him and bit his leg.
Mr Dickmann wrestled with the monster croc and pushed his thumb into its brain to fend off the attack, according to media reports.
“It was quicker than your mind can register — that noise will haunt me forever I think, the snap of its jaws,” Mr Dickmann told the ABC.
Skin was ripped from his hand in the attack, but he still made the hour-long drive back to civilisation to call for help.
ROO SLAMS VICTORIAN WOMAN TO THE GROUND
A Gippsland woman was knocked out cold after a kangaroo threw her to the ground in an unprecedented attack.
Swim teacher Joanna Mactier was running through a secluded forest last July when a roo pushed her to the ground.
The attack left her unconscious and bleeding.
“It came so quickly I didn’t have time to think about anything. When I came to, all I could remember was its huge chest and eyes. It was massive,” she said.
Ms Mactier was treated at Sale Hospital and avoided broken bones or serious injuries.
Experts say kangaroo attacks on humans are rare, but not unheard of.
A female jogger was injured by a kangaroo in Templestowe in January 2017 and a woman was also attacked in Berwick in May last year.
TOURIST FENDS OFF JAWS OF DEATH
These French tourists got an Australian experience most would rather avoid after being chased by a shark near Bells Beach in May.
The shark grabbed surfer Dylan Nacass’s leg, but he managed to fend it off and made it back to shore with only a graze.
The backpacker told The Geelong Advertiser he “gave it a punch in the face” to stop the attack.
“I fight with him and it’s OK, I’m alive. Everything is good,” he said.
“I have my legs most importantly.”
COURAGEOUS KOALA FIGHTS OFF DOGS
Koalas usually make headlines for being victims of tragedy, but in 2014 the Australian icons were in the spotlight for the wrong reason.
South Australian Mary Anne Forster was walking her two dogs when she saw a koala at the bottom of the tree.
When her dogs pulled her closer, the koala reportedly made a beeline for her leg.
“Obviously the koala felt very threatened because it attached itself with its mouth, jaws, to my leg and bit very hard (and) very deeply,” she told 7 News.
She had to put her fingers in its mouth to get it to release its strong grip on her leg, before walking 2km home before seeking treatment.
OCTOPUS BITES OFF MORE THAN IT CAN CHEW
Though animals often make headlines for attacking humans, an octopus was the exception to the rule in bayside Melbourne in 1939.
A horrifying series of events played out at Mordialloc beach after a nine foot octopus grabbed a dog while it was walking in the shallows.
The dog’s owner was unable to free it and ran home to get a rake as the two animals struggled.
He killed the eight-legged creature and the dog escaped unharmed, with the octopus meeting a gruesome end as pictured.
The incident was widely reported in the Australian media, with the story of the man’s heroics appearing as a splash of light relief next to news reports on WWII.
MORE NEWS
CHUCKLE AT THESE REMOTE LEARNING MEMES
CUTE ANIMAL PICS TO BRIGHTEN YOUR DAY
Uber Eats is making room service redundant
Room service is quickly becoming a thing of the past thanks to food delivery apps, but we’re not sold.
Hinge just launched a new feature that’s set to rock the boat
Your personal version of The Bachelor