Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service rangers investigating after girl bitten by dingo on K’gari

A seven-year-old girl was bitten on her thigh by a dingo at K’gari (formerly known as Fraser Island) on 4th January with the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) investigating the Code E incident that left the girl with puncture wounds to her thigh. QPWS are attempting to identify the dingo involved.

The incident occurred when a family was waiting for the barge at Hook Point and observed a dingo (wongari) loitering around the barge landing.

Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service reports that the mother exited the vehicle to take photos of the dingo, and was unaware that her children had also gotten out of the vehicle.

The dingo approached the girl, who became frightened and ran. The dingo followed and bit the girl on the thigh before nearby people chased the dingo away.

The parents advised rangers that they would be taking their child for medical treatment once they returned to the mainland.

The incident comes after dingo attacks on children at Western Australia’s Karijini National Park in June 2023, which resulted in a dingo being destroyed.

And in July 2023 at least three dingoes attacked a 24-year-old woman jogging on the beach at K’gari, leaving her with numerous bites.

Despite the growing number of attacks, rangers have rejected calls to cull the dingo population on the K’gari tourist destination.

“Culling in the situation on K’gari is not an option – culling for the sake of culling,” ranger-in-charge Linda Behrendorff said.

“Our job is to mitigate risk.

“You need to know the individuals, you need to work with the individual dingoes and you also need to work with the situation that those dingoes are in.”

At least one of the animals in the pack was classified as a risk and has a collar with a device to track movement and behaviour.

At the time of the July attack on K’gari, QLD Environment Minister Leanne Linard noted “there are absolutely protocols in regard to how rangers in conjunction with traditional owners consider whether a dingo is at a point where they feel that sort of aggressive behaviour is inherent.

“Some of these dingoes we have to remember are young. When they get to the age of two, my understanding from the rangers is they are not necessarily going to continue to exhibit that adolescent behaviour which can be a little bit more aggressive.”

One dingo was humanly euthanised in June 2023 after a string of incidents earlier in the year with Minister Linard advising it was the only such occasion since 2019.

“Euthanising a high-risk dingo is a last resort, but this decision is in line with the Fraser Island Dingo Conservation and Risk Management Strategy and part of QPWS’s (Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service) commitment to ensuring the safety of everyone who visits or lives on the island,” the environment department said at the time.

To help boost public safety on K’gari, the Queensland Government is investing an additional $2 million in funding this financial year and an additional $3 million annually ongoing.

The funding will create jobs for an additional six QPWS rangers, three specialist staff and four additional Indigenous rangers in partnership with the Traditional Owners, the Butchulla People.

The addition of new rangers to the island will increase face-to-face information sessions and enhanced management and monitoring of dingoes that exhibit threatening and high-risk behaviour.

QPWS will also expand proactive meassging 'Be dingo-safe!'  to help inform tourists when they purchase camping permits, and at strategic locations on the island.

Anyone with information about dingo incidents is encouraged to contact a QPWS ranger by calling 07 4127 9150  or email dingo.ranger@des.qld.gov.au as soon as possible.

Visitors to K’gari are reminded to Be dingo-safe! at all times:

• Always stay close (within arm’s reach) of children and young teenagers

• Always walk in groups and carry a stick

• Camp in fenced areas where possible

• Do not run. Running or jogging can trigger a negative dingo interaction

• Never feed dingoes

• Lock up food stores and iceboxes (even on a boat)

• Never store food or food containers in tents, and

• Secure all rubbish, fish and bait.

For more information go to About K'gari (Fraser Island) dingoes.

Image. Credit: QPWS