Rabies isn’t the only risk when you get too close to wildlife. In June, an Indian man was mauled at an animal park in Phuket while attempting to take a selfie with a tiger. These incidents can even happen in more controlled environments. Earlier this month, a lion mauled a woman at Darling Downs Zoo in Queensland, leaving her with serious injuries, despite being accompanied into the enclosure with experienced keepers.
It’s odd, really, because as a nation there’s nothing we love more than terrifying foreigners with stories of our own deadly creatures. We might even tell a tall tale or two – tackling crocs, boxing with ’roos, stories of massive sharks and tiny, hairy, venomous spiders. It’s a habit that may not be appreciated by Tourism Australia, but it is a lot of fun. We also pride ourselves on our camping, surfing, hiking knowledge – and deep down we imagine there’s a little bit of Steve Irwin in every one of us.
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Beyond this fantasy, Australians generally have a healthy respect for the dangers of wildlife in our own country, and (mostly) know how to stay safe around them, or simply stay out of their way, so it’s difficult to fathom why many Australians travelling overseas are injured because they get too close to the local fauna.
Maybe it’s because we’re used to cats and dogs and think nothing of giving them a pat, or we assume an animal that’s cute can’t be deadly.