Fair enough to the first point but nowhere did I say the chamberlains did it. I don’t know who did it, the coroner has said a dingo. Fair enough but still I have lingering doubts.
Well, when I posted the OP I meant it as a jokey topic. I laughed at “the dingo ate my baby” back in the day and I chuckle even now. At no time did I believe you lost a child. That was just more attempted humor. 
Now if a dingo were to eat my baby. . .
The thing is, it’s not like Azaria was alone for half an hour or anything: Lindy left the tent to take something out, intending to return every quickly - she was just taking a can of beans out to another of the children, IIRC.
The rumors that flew - that Azaria’s name meant “sacrifice in the wilderness” or that one of the other children was responsible and the adult Chamblains were covering it up (hell, I even remember one put forward that the child photographed at Uluru couldn’t possibly be Azaria and there everyone another baby must have been involved, being photographed to cover up in Azaria’s place, to covere up the “real” Azaria’s death earlier) - we’re idiotic.
Uh, yes.
At least, that’s why we allow the manufacture and sale of guns, cars, trains, electricity, upper-story windows, cleaning products, lighters, knives, cords for venetian blinds, uh…well…you get my point. The world is absolutely chock-full of things which are dangerous to small children left unsupervised even for a few moments. Almost every single time there’s a tragedy, the news story includes a quote like “I just looked away for a moment,” or “The child was in the next room,” or the like.
I am aware that no parent is perfect and can stare unblinkingly at a child for 18 continuous years. But I am saying that dingoes are unlikely to knock over adult humans to seize babies, even if they might pick off an unsupervised one left outdoors alone.
If you think humans are so noble that there’s no danger of a backlash against the animals based on rumor and unfounded fear, you have a much rosier view of human nature than I do – or than the record suggests.
Edited to add: Re: “a danger to children generally.” What’s the total annual death-by-dingo count in Australia? From what I’ve read so far, it sounds like a few incidents over decades? How does it compare to other infrequent hazards we tolerate?
The things you list are OK because they are (or should be) restricted or made safe in some way such that they are safe in general usage even if children are not watched continuously. If dingoes in relevant areas could not be made safe unless parents watched their children continuously, they would and should be eradicated.
Like the thylacine?
I agree with Sailboat, but I’ve never know parents to be logical when their children are concerned.
Altering a Mel Brooks quote that was altering a Groucho Marx quote, “Tragedy is when I cut my finger, comedy is when a dingo eats your baby.”
No experience with Dingo hybrids, but I have encountered some Wolf hybrids, and a couple Huskies that were either hybrids, or not from “cuddly” lines.
The thing with domestic dogs is that they have many generations of selecting for desirable traits, and against undesirable traits. Breeding this with the generation zero stock is a crap shoot that doesn’t end well: Basically, when you breed a hybrid, every “good-dog” trait that has been carefully selected for has only ~50% chance, and every “bad-dog” trait that has been selected against now gets a brand new ~50% chance to show up. On average, you will get only half the “good-dog” traits, and be cursed with half the “bad-dog” traits. That may be off a bit, depending on what traits are dominant, recessive, epi-genome selected, etc. but the basic concept is sound.
So, an example: Back in prehistory, the starting Wolf stock was probably individuals that self selected to not be too afraid of humans, and were selected by men if they behaved non-aggressively or submissively or affectionately toward humans. They got selected to stay puppy-like and still form pack bonds and be submissive even in old age. If they grew up and tried to become the pack-alpha, they got clubbed or speared for it and didn’t get to breed.
Now take a nice dog, throw the dice, and breed it with a wild canine for a hybrid litter. you might get some dogs that have no innate fear of humans, but are aggressive toward them. This is a very bad thing. But they get worse when they get older, because remember that “stays puppy like trait” that we breed domestic dogs to have. Well that is certainly diluted, and maybe absent altogether. So these Hybrids are probably going to be genetically programmed to try to take on the alpha role when they reach peak physical strength.
As a kid, my neighbors had a couple of Huskies that were like this. They got me cornered once and would. not. back. down. Not sure if those were hybrids or not, maybe Eskimos just wanted hard working dogs and not companions. Since then I have met some dogs identified as hybrids, and basically none of the “dog whisperer” stuff worked. Not at all. I love dogs, and dogs (well, big dogs anyway) love me. Not these. Both were extremely fearful of me as a stranger even though I was with family “pack” members they were OK with, and sending all the “not a threat” “wants to play” body language. I have seen this with little dogs and abused dogs, but not with big dogs that seemed OK with their owners.
Too soon?
Going camping with a nine-week-old baby just doesn’t seem like such a great parenting choice to me. I wouldn’t want to do it, and I’m pretty sure there are no dingoes around here that would steal a baby. But then again, I don’t really see the attraction of camping without a nine-month-old baby, either.
meh pretty common in Australia to go camping with a baby, see it all the time. Dingo attacks are very very rare. Dingoes are timid creatures generally and only have recently started to come close to humans as idiots like to feed the cute dogs. Similar problem to how bears seek easy food close to humans.
The issue of cross breeds is as outlined above, dingo top level carnivore but timid crossed with someone’s escaped hunting dog is a recipe for disaster.
I love dingoes they are a wonderful creature and I hope all this news does to lead to wholesale culling of them. It has in the past and I really don’t want to see it again.
Dingoes left alone are no threat to humans, the key is left alone.
I wouldn’t have gone on an outback camping trip with three kids (including a baby) in a Torana hatchback.
I did with four…well, not to the outback (we tended to stick to wilderness areas of Vic and NSW) and it was in a VW wagon, later a Datsun wagon.
Best. Fun. Ever. 
They’re not restricted nor particularly made safe, though.
Dingoes are not like thylacines. They are common and have an extremely wide range. Wiping out a few at a couple campgrounds where they have become overly familiar and lost their fear of humans is a drop in the bucket. Hell, it’s less than that in a continent the size of the US. Speaking of not being logical.
Measures are taken to restrict and make safe as practicable and as resources and human fallibility allow. If a group of dingoes have become dangerous to small children at a campground then goodbye dingoes.
But then as **carnivorousplant **would say, I’ve never known doglovers to be logical when dogs are concerned. 
my parents and 3 kids VW Beetle and then a Ford XY station wagon, Victorian High Plains lots and lots of fun and some of the best memories ever.
We. Have. A. Winner!
Heh. Babies are the EASY stuff when going camping…it’s the toddlers wandering off towards the river/creek to find the fishies, and the older kids getting up early to start the fire…by siphoning petrol out of the car to get it going with a BANG!!
No time to fret about the wild things out to get ya.
At least a wagon has four doors. Two kids and a baby basket squished into the back seat of a two-door hatch would be nightmarish.
Not the Volksie.