The latest dingo attack on Fraser Island has again raised concerns about the safety of campers.
Ranger patrols are to be increased after a six-year-old boy was bitten several times on the lower leg when he encountered a pack of four dingoes while returning to a camping area with his family at Eurong.
The child remains in hospital and is not expected to be released for several more days.
In a statement, the boy’s father said his son was “in the wrong place at the wrong time” and that it was “just an unfortunate incident”.
The Department of Environment and Science says the dingo responsible for the attack had not yet been identified, but authorities are not planning on destroying the dog involved.
In a statement, it said dingoes that were “particularly aggressive and deemed an unacceptable risk may be removed in consultation with the Butchulla Aboriginal Corporation”.
Queensland Parks and Wildlife told the ABC that rangers would be stepping up their patrols in the area, monitoring the animals and trying to identify the dingo responsible.
Campers were also being encouraged to remain alert and report any negative dingo encounters.
Andrew Richter is a regular visitor to Fraser Island and he told the ABC that he had noticed an increase in dingo numbers, as well as a change in behaviour of the dogs. He said people needed to be reminded not to feed or encourage the animals.
“There are just some animal lovers who can’t bear to see a hungry animal, and the other reason is people are very keen to get close photographs and get up close and personal to dingoes,” he said. “In that process people are luring them closer and closer, and that of course then changes their behaviour.”
Many years ago I worked for a now defunct resort on Fraser Island. First thing we were told was NOT TO FEED THE DINGOES. Since the advent of new resorts, easier access and many tourists, I wonder how this rule is filtered through the many different languages of the tourists visiting our beautiful island. Beautiful place but needs to have controlled tourist numbers like several islands in America.
Everywhere you go on Fraser island, and even before you get on the island there are signs, leaflets and more signs about “Do Not Feed the Dingos” as well as dingo safety and always monitor children. Nearly 20 years ago an young child was killed by a dingo on Fraser Island, a terrible and tragic incident, but you just have to be really really careful, especially with youngsters, Dingos are very very smart, and they will follow and track you at a distance, if you stand up to them and dont run they will often back away, but if a child runs and there are not adults close by they can sometimes have a go if they see an opportunity and its usually to try and get food, and clearly in some instances, worse, but you just have to be dingo aware, and unless you are washed onto the island in a lifeboat, there is no way you don’t get lots of good dingo safe information…and if you do what they say, you can enjoy one of the best places on earth and see some of the purest remaining dingos anywhere…just be dingo aware and dingo safe, especially with children.
https://parks.des.qld.gov.au/parks/fraser/dingo-safe.html
Remove the tourists and leave the dingo’s alone.
Spot on Charley !
Totally agree.These dingoes are starving.Society has killed all their means of survival so what do you expect them to do.Dingoes have youngsters of their own to feed.Fence off parkland anywhere in Australia and supply them with food.Keep kids away or better still their parents
what? starving!! The dingoes on Fraser Island are not starving, they have more food than any other dingo population in Australia have ever had…they definitely are not starving …drive the Simpson desert and you’ll see hungry dingoes, but no, not on Fraser Island, they are cunning and will try and get an easy feed, but make no mistake, they are far to smart to go hungry on Fraser Island. Just dont feed them and stay away and follow the rules….and if you want to get up and close with “starving” sharks go swimming in the Fraser Island surf….more bait fish and shark food there than you will see in many places…but I wont go past waist deep in the surf off Fraser Island.