Family of Cairns dingo victim shun cull suggestion

The family of a Cairns child attacked by a dingo on Fraser Island are against a cull of the native wild dogs.

Supplied copy pictures of 6yr old Michael Schipanski who was attacked by a dingo while holidaying on Fraser Island with family

• Cairns boy mauled in dingo attack

THE family of a Cairns child attacked by a dingo on Fraser Island are against a cull of the native wild dogs.

They say he was in “the wrong place at the wrong time” in a harrowing end to a dream holiday at the World Heritage-listed tourist destination.

Six-year-old Michael Schipanski, of Cairns, on a camping trip with his family-of-four, was mauled by four dingoes near the entry to Govi campsite on Saturday about 6pm.

He is recovering from surgery in Hervey Bay hospital with severe puncture wounds and deep gashes to both his legs below the knees.

The boy was running up a sand dune with his mum towards their campsite when a pack of dingoes attacked.

“We understand that the island is home to the dingoes, and that this was just an unfortunate incident,’’ his father Mark said. “Everything happened very quickly.

“Michael has received excellent care, from the time that he was first tended to by paramedics to his current stay in hospital. He is recovering well, and we hope to be able to go home soon, on the advice of doctors.

“We think the rangers on Fraser Island do a great job of raising awareness about dingoes, and that on the whole, people who stay on the island respect the dingoes and the advice of the rangers.”

Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service rangers have stepped up their regular patrols in the area and have closed the campground until further notice.

“Rangers are observing the pack and monitoring their behaviour,’’ a QPWS spokesman said yesterday.

“Dingoes that are particularly aggressive and are deemed an unacceptable risk may be removed in consultation with the Butchulla Aboriginal Corporation,’’ he said.

Rangers are educating visitors and residents to be “dingo-safe”. “Never feed dingoes. Always walk in groups,’’ the QPWS said in a statement.

Originally published as Family of Cairns dingo victim shun cull suggestion