15 hours ago
Couple 'panicked' by destructive discovery on outback roadside
An Aussie couple were left panicked when they pulled over on an outback road and noticed something unwanted staring back at them. Twelve large eyes were watching their every move, but it wasn't their own safety they were concerned about, it was the danger the creatures posed to the wider landscape.
Photos supplied by Ellisha Martion and her partner to Yahoo News show six alarmed donkeys hiding in a narrow strip of vegetation after they wandered out of the Big Desert State Forest in Victoria's northwest.
'They were very aware of us, that's for sure. At one stage, they made a weird noise which scared me because they can be defensive. It was kind of like a grunt and a hiss, it was weird,' she told Yahoo News.
With the park already being impacted by other feral predators like cats, foxes and deer, discovering another threat left her feeling worried about the rare native plants and animals that live there. The donkeys are likely an imminent threat to the landscape — invasive animal species are responsible for the highest number of animal extinctions in Australia.
'I was shocked. Donkeys weren't high on the list of things I was expecting to see. I was a bit panicked because we had no phone service,' Martion said.
'I wondered what we were supposed to do because we couldn't really catch them on our own.'
The hooves of donkeys can be highly damaging to the wider wilderness area. Unlike the soft pads of native mammals, their feet cut deep into the soil like sharp poles, as images taken on Sunday highlight.
Martion, the founder of Big Desert Dingo Research, was travelling through the landscape to monitor its critically endangered dingo population. As few as 40 are left in the state's northwest, and she's concerned about the impact that donkeys could have on them.
Water is scarce in the region because there's no permanent supply, and there are fears the donkeys could drain and muddy the resource. Feral horses, deer and pigs create similar problems in Victoria's fragile High Country.
'There's not much water out there, we need to preserve it as much as we can,' Martion said.
'The area is susceptible to erosion. There are tiny native plants that are threatened with extinction, so having donkeys running over them isn't great.'
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The presence of donkeys in the area was confirmed using a trail camera two years ago, but this second sighting of what appears to be a larger group has sparked concern they could become established. Reports have been made to authorities about Saturday's incident, but it's unclear what action will be taken.
Victoria's department of agriculture, which sits within the department of environment (DEECA) has been contacted for comment, but it did not immediately respond.
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