The Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) is investigating two incidents on K’gari (formerly known as Fraser Island) where two collared dingoes approached a group of adults before biting a woman on the thigh.
Around 11:45am Thursday, the dingoes approached and circled seven adults at Eli Creek. One of them lunged and mouthed a woman on the thigh. A member of the group threw a stick at the pair and scared them off.
The dingoes went down Eli Creek and around 11:50am, approached a woman from behind. When the woman turned around and saw the dingoes, she fell and was bitten on the thigh.
QPWS rangers provided assistance to the woman, and offered medical treatment which was declined. The investigation into both incidents is ongoing.
Visitors and residents on K’gari are reminded to remain vigilant at all times, and children must be kept under constant supervision.
The incidents came after another interaction between a man and dingo.
Senior Ranger Linda Behrendorff says QPWS recently received a video showing the man holding out a water bottle to a dingo near Waddy Point beach at the weekend.
“After the recent incidents on K’gari, it is disappointing that anyone would choose to deliberately interact with a dingo,” Ms Behrendorff says.
“Following those incidents between people and dingoes, rangers have increased our patrols and our camping area education.
“And despite our efforts and the publicity surrounding those recent incidents, people are still engaging with dingoes on K’gari.
“This man has ignored the safety messaging he would have seen on the barge over to the island, and all the signage on the island advising people to keep their distance.
“Deliberate interactions like this are extremely frustrating, because rangers have to manage people and wongari (dingoes) on K’gari.”
Ms Behrendorff says the man appeared to be a part of a large group of people, and he wasn’t aware he was being filmed.
“He only stopped interacting with the dingoes when his mates called out, warning that he was being filmed, but they should’ve been yelling at him to stop his foolish behaviour,” she says.
“When rangers arrived on scene, the group of people were gone, and they were unable to identify him from the video.
“The man is liable to receive a $2,474 on the spot fine, and if anyone has any information as to his identity or this incident, they can call 4127 9150.”
