Wildlife attacks in Australia occur every year from several different native species, including snakes, spiders, freshwater and saltwater crocodiles, various sharks, cassowaries, dingoes, kangaroos, stingrays and stonefish and a variety of smaller marine creatures such as bluebottles, blue-ringed octopus, cone shells and jellyfish.
It is estimated that there are about 100,000 dog attacks in Australia each year, of which around 3,000 result in hospitalizations.
Land Cassowary
Cassowaries have a reputation for being dangerous to people and domestic animals. The 2007 edition of the Guinness World Records lists the cassowary as the world's most dangerous bird. During World War II American and Australian troops stationed in New Guinea were warned to steer clear of them.
In his book Living Birds of the World from 1958, ornithologist Thomas E. Gilliard wrote:
However, Gilliard did not include any such records or any references for them, and although this assessment of the danger posed by cassowaries has been repeated in print by authors including Gregory S. Paul (1988),Paul, G. S. (1988). and Jared Diamond (1997)Diamond, J. (2008). recent research on hundreds of cassowary attacks has only been able to find one human death.
A 2003 study of attacks by the southern cassowary in Queensland found no wounds larger than punctures about 1.5 centimetres in diameter.Kofron, C. P. (2003). Of 221 attacks studied, 150 were against humans. A total of 75% of these were from cassowaries that had been fed by people. In 71% of cases the bird chased or charged the victim. In 15% of cases they kicked. Of the attacks, 73% involved the birds expecting or snatching food, 5% involved defending natural food sources, 15% involved defending themselves from attack, 7% involved defending their chicks or eggs. Of all 150 attacks there was only one human death.Kofron, C. P. (1999).
The one documented human death caused by a cassowary was that of Phillip Mclean, aged 16, and it happened on 6 April 1926. He and his brother, aged 13, were attempting to beat the cassowary to death with clubs. They were accompanied by their dog. The bird kicked the younger boy, who fell and ran away. Then the older boy struck the bird. The bird charged and knocked the older boy to the ground. While on the ground, Phillip was kicked in the neck, opening a 1.25 centimetre wound. Phillip got up and ran but died shortly afterwards from the haemorrhaging blood vessel in his neck.
Cassowary strikes to the abdomen are among the rarest of all, but there is one case of a dog that was kicked in the belly in 1995. The blow left no puncture, but there was severe bruising. The dog later died from an apparent intestinal rupture.
Dingoes
Dingo attacks in Australia are rare but can happen. Dingos are more of a danger to livestock such as sheep which is why the Dingo Fence was constructed. As wild dogs are large predators, they can be potentially dangerous to humans. The likelihood of wild dogs being a danger to humans depends to a large degree on how humans behave toward them. The more frequently these dogs are fed or scavenge human leftovers, the more likely it is that they lose all caution and sometimes react aggressively towards humans when they no longer receive or find food. Even when habituation to humans seems to be the cause for attacks, it is not clear what the ultimate cause for attacks and overall threat towards humans is. The first well documented case of a dingo attack on K'gari is from the year 1988. Already 60 years before, a newspaper account reported of problems with dingoes. Between 1996 and 2001 altogether 279 incidences with dingoes have been reported, with 39 of the cases assessed as "major" and one as "catastrophic". In April 2001 at Waddy Point on K'gari, a nine-year-old male was attacked and killed by two dingoes.QLD.gov.au, E. Beckmann, Gillian Savage (June 2003). "Evaluation of Dingo Education Strategy and Programs for Fraser Island and Literature review: Communicating to the public about potentially dangerous wildlife in natural settings". Queensland Government. QLD.gov.au Retrieved 10 October 2009. On 19 August 1980 a nine-week-old girl named Azaria Chamberlain was captured by a dingo near the Uluru and killed. Her mother was suspected and convicted of murder. Four years later she was released from prison when the jacket of the baby was found in a dingo den and the mother was therefore found innocent. This incident caused much outcry for and against the dingoes. To be better prepared for dingo attacks demands were made that a better recording of problematic cases should be implemented. Also non-lethal guns, spray cans with appropriate content, whips and aversive baits should be used to increase the caution of the dingoes.
Emu
Emu attacks are rare but have occurred. When attacked, the emu will move in a zigzag pattern to prevent attacks from the wedge tailed eagle, or use kicking at close range.The Emu NSW government. In 1932 many emus moved into farm territory in Western Australia, with the army called in to dispatch them in the so-called Emu War. Some attacks noted include in 1957 an emu charged a car,Emu Attacks Speeding Car The Bend Bulletin (Oregon) 26 June 1957. in 1904 an emu attacked a dog's owner after the dog attacked it,Attacked by an emu The Argus 10 August 1904. in 1873 an emu attacked children and a woman at Johnstone Park, Geelong.Victoria, from Geelong Advertiser The Mercury 24 March 1873. A man fell off a horse which was attacked by an emu in Bullarook in 1864 which went to court as Seagrave v Tarte, where the judge ruled the emu is ferae naturae.Damages for assault by an emu The Argus 11 April 1864.
Kangaroos
Kangaroo attacks in Australia are rare because kangaroos are usually docile; however, they can attack when provoked or cornered, and they have been known to kill dogs. Very occasionally they can attack even if not provoked. If there is a shortage of food, kangaroos will enter suburbs, and may attack (which may be unintentional or in self-defence), as noted in MelbourneRoo attacks rise as suburbs spread, The Age. and Canberra.Starving kangaroos attack city residents.
There were two incidents in 1999 and 2002, and 15 to 20 reports in the area between Coffs Harbour and Sydney.Roo rage stories excite researcher ABC news 3 February 2005. The New South Wales Court of Appeal ruled in Shorten v Grafton District Golf Club (2000) that a golf course had a duty of care to warn patrons of the danger of kangaroo attack, after a 13-year-old boy was injured by one in 1996.
The Queensland Department of Environment and Resource Management mentions kangaroos can be aggressive towards people, and advises that if approached by an aggressive kangaroo, people should keep it at a distance so that it cannot kick or scratch.Kangaroos introduction Qld DERM. An Animal Planet video on avoiding kangaroo attacks says the main defence is to keep moving out of the animal's kicking range.After the Attack, kangaroos, Animal Planet.
Several of the attacks have been widely reported in international media. In particular a 1988 attack in the Grampians which was filmed was shown on World's Most Shocking MomentsKangaroo attacks english tourist video, voiceover by John Bunnell. and reported elsewhere.Australian Injured in Kangaroo Attack October 23, 1988. The 1996 attack on the golf course in Grafton was shown on After the Attack and reported by National GeographicKangaroo Attacks in Australia Spotlight Growing Turf War, National Geographic May 6, 2005. and others.Golfer in kangaroo attack wins damages The Independent. The recent attacks in Sunbury were widely reported in AustraliaKangaroo attack lands man in hospital WA today.Kangaroo attack lands man in hospital The Age August 27, 2009. as well as international media.Man injured in kangaroo attack Taranaki daily news. In March 2009 a kangaroo smashed through the window of a suburban house in Garran which also made international news.Kangaroo Bursts Through Bedroom Window, Ransacks House Fox news.Australian wrestles kangaroo from family home NBC News March 9, 2009.Capital May Take up Arms Against a Kangaroo Glut ABC News (US) April 12, 2009.Man wrestles crazed ninja kangaroo after it invades family home Times online March 10, 2009.
A 77-year-old man died in 2022 after being attacked by a kangaroo he had been keeping as a pet in Redmond, Western Australia. It is the first fatal kangaroo attack reported in Australia since 1936.
Magpies
The Australian magpie often swoops people in suburban areas.Problem wildlife swooping birds There are three known deaths from a magpie attack: one caused by tetanus,Death from tetanus after magpie attack Canberra Times 25 October 1946. a second when an elderly cyclist crashed his bicycle while attempting to avoid being dive-bombed, and most recently in August 2021 a third death when a baby died as a mother tried to protect her from a swooping magpie.The Guardian 10 August 2021. Magpies are ubiquitous in urban areas all over Australia, and have become accustomed to people. A small percentage of birds become highly aggressive during breeding season from late August to early October, and will swoop and sometimes attack passers by.Jones, p. 37 These magpies may engage in an escalating series of behaviours to drive off intruders. Least threatening are alarm calls and distant swoops, where birds fly within several metres from behind and perch nearby. Next in intensity are close swoops, where a magpie will swoop in from behind or the side and audibly "snap" their beaks or even peck or bite at the face, neck, ears or eyes. More rarely, a bird may dive-bomb and strike the intruder's (usually a cyclist's) head with its chest. A magpie may rarely attack by landing on the ground in front of a person, lurching up and pecking at the face and eyes.Jones, p. 48 Attacks begin as the eggs hatch, and tail off as the chicks leave the nest.Jones, pp. 43–44
Magpie attacks can cause injuries, including wounds to the head and the eyes, with the potential for bacterial infections from a beak used to fossick in the ground.Jones, p. 52 A case of anaphylaxis was reported after a Magpie attack. If it is necessary to walk near the nest, wearing a broad-brimmed or legionnaire's hat or using an umbrella will deter attacking birds, but beanies and bicycle helmets are not entirely effective, as birds can attack the sides of the head and neck.Jones, p. 104 Magpies prefer to swoop at the back of the head; therefore, keeping the magpie in sight at all times can discourage the bird. Magpies are a protected native species in Australia, and it is illegal to kill or harm them. However, this protection is removed in some Australian states if a magpie attacks and harms a human, allowing for the bird to be killed if it is considered particularly aggressive (such a provision is made, for example, in section 54 of the South Australian National Parks and Wildlife Act).
Snakes
Snake attacks in Australia which cause deaths are less common than they used to be due to increased medical knowledge and more readily available antivenom. Around half of all deaths from snakebites are caused by brown snakes. In Australia, the only continent where venomous snakes constitute the majority of species, the taipan, tiger snake and eastern brown snake inflict virtually all reported venomous bites. The latter is responsible for perhaps 60% of deaths caused by snakebite. Although Australian snakes are among the most venomous in the world (the inland or western taipan having the most toxic venom), wide access to antivenom has made deaths exceedingly rare, with only a few fatalities each year. Australian snakes are known to possess particularly potent venom: 10 of the world's most venomous snakes, as measured by LD50 in mice, inhabit the continent.