Experts in what aint so.

Goanna, not a fearsome creature.

Today’s Courier Mail carries a story of meat eating (or maybe man eating) goannas on Fraser Island terrorising tourists.

A TOURIST will soon be badly attacked by a goanna at Queensland tourist spot Fraser Island, an expert has warned. Fraser Island conservation consultant Mike West said dingo fencing has stopped wild dogs from reducing lizard numbers.

Goannas which can grow up to 2m in length are carnivores and their hefty tail can be dangerous when swung, much like a crocodile. Small children and dogs have been knocked down by such attacks.
Fraser Island is heavily populated with large goannas and they often hunt for food in groups.

"We're up to our armpits in bloody great big goannas at Kingfisher Bay and Eurong because there's no dingoes inside the fences to chase them off," said Mr. West. …

"I got chased by one and had to drop an Esky on it. It's the same problem as dingoes. They are not frightened of people.
"Are they going to start shooting goannas next? They've already shot kookaburras for pecking people and they are trying to trap a crocodile off Fraser.

Mr. West said the island's dingo fences were a failed experiment and should be abandoned.
Fences at Happy Valley and Eurong cost more than $750,000 while $150,000 was spent at Kingfisher Bay.
However, four of the past five dingo attacks had occurred immediately outside the enclosures.

A spokesman for Sustainability Minister Kate Jones said the island's dingo management strategy was being reviewed.

The whole problem as far as I can see is that tourists have no idea of the characteristics of native wildlife, and tend to feed the nice animals, dramatically changing the basic instinctual relationship between them and man. Most of these tourists are townies who just haven’t got a clue. This article also indicates that the ‘expert’ really doesn’t know what he is talking about either.

OK, this is basic knowledge from an old bushie.

Goannas might grow to two metres on occasions, but four feet (1.2m) is generally a pretty big one. I have seen a hell of a lot of them in the bush over a long period and have not encountered any longer than this. Yes they are carnivorous, but mainly on carrion and small animals, frogs, other lizards, birds and so on that they may be able to get. They will take eggs and chicks out of nests. They are not aggressive, and do not hunt in packs.

Generally when in drilling camps we tended to welcome the presence of the odd big goanna around the place as they tend to discourage snakes from hanging around.

Dingos tend to leave goannas alone; they are just too good at fighting back if cornered and usually get up a tree too quickly anyway.

Once people start feeding these animals they develop the same sense of entitlement that the average leftie has, and tend to lose their fear of man. This is the cause of any problems that may occur, they expect to be fed and if food is not given then they will damn well take it. The dingo fences were put up at great expense to stop them attacking tourists. Removing them, again at presumably at more great expense would remove the safety barrier allowing people to relax inside without having the worry of having their children killed.

I have never encountered or heard of kookaburras attacking people. They are very docile birds, and can be downright friendly. I think this idiot may be mistaking them for magpies, although its difficult to see why as they are totally different in appearance. Magpies will swoop and peck people in the nesting season as they are very protective.