The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Killarney man’s tick video garners thousands of views
A VIDEO taken by a Killarney man showing four sizeable ticks that he found on his dog after a short walk in Killarney National Park has been viewed more than 30,000 times.
The video was taken by Donal Dux and posted online a week ago; in the short clip, four black ticks can be seen moving around on a brown piece of paper.
Donal – a former student of St Brendan’s College and now working boat tours in the Gap of Dunloe – said that he had just returned from a walk with his two dogs when he noticed the insects on his pets.
He said that he pulled four off one dog and numerous more off his other dog.
By sharing the video, he said that he hopes it will make people more aware of the very real danger of ticks in the park and why walkers and pet owners should regularly check both themselves and others for tick bites after being in the park.
“It needs to be mentioned and highlighted. A lot of people do not have a clue about how serious Lyme Disease is for people. More people need
to be aware what is around them, especially in places such as Killarney National Park,” said Donal to The Kerryman.
“I find these ticks on the dogs every time that I go walking there, so just be careful. You would see kids and families lying in the grass there the whole time and they wouldn’t mind,” he continued.
“I’ve picked two ticks off myself this year already, and while not all ticks carry Lyme disease, it’s better to be on the lookout. Lyme Disease is a horrible thing. You’d hear so many stories from people who have it,” said Donal.
Donal feels that more signs need to be erected around the park to warn people to be more vigilant.
“Signs would just give people more information on it and that way, they can be more informed,” Donal continued.
The clip is available to watchup on The Kerryman’s
Twitter and Facebook page.