A dingo responsible for several high-risk incidents on K’gari has been captured and humanely euthanised over the weekend.
The most recent serious incident on the island involved a woman being bitten on the beach on August 26.
In a statement, the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) said the dingo has demonstrated increasingly significant high-risk behaviours since it was tagged in January 2023, including stealing food, persistently approaching people, stalking, circling, lunging, nipping and biting.
Before making this difficult decision, the QPWS said it implemented a number of alternative options in an attempt to manage the dingo’s behaviours, and consulted with the island’s Traditional Owners, the Butchulla people.
This included collaring the dingo in July 2023 to enable rangers to better monitor its behaviour and movements, and in August 2023 rangers closed camping areas in the dingo’s preferred range to minimise the risks of increased habitation.
Rangers also asked visitors to avoid preparing or consuming food and sunbaking lying down at Eli Creek and lakeshores areas.
It said the dingo continued its pattern of negative interactions towards people with a series of threatening and high-risk interactions recorded involving children, adults, and rangers, including six high-risk interactions.
Many of these high-risk interactions involved a second tagged dingo.
In recent weeks, rangers have stepped up patrols to monitor both animals, and rangers will continue to closely monitor the second dingo before making any further management decisions.
QPWS said euthanising a high-risk dingo is a last resort, but this decision is in line with the K’gari Dingo Conservation and Risk Management Strategy, and part of a commitment to ensure the safety of everyone who visits or lives on the island.
Visitors and residents on K’gari (Fraser Island) are encouraged to report any negative dingo encounters to a QPWS ranger, or phone 07 4127 9150 or email dingo.ranger@des.qld.gov.au as soon as possible.
Visitors 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
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.
