Dingo found stuck in crab pot on Fraser Island

The howls of a young dingo drew rangers on Fraser Island (K’gari) to a creek where they made a shocking find. PHOTOS.

A young dingo has been freed from a crab pot by rangers after it became trapped in the device at Fraser Island (K’gari).

Ranger in Charge Dr Linda Behrendorff said in a statement a ranger from the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service followed the howls of the dingo, wading across Wanggoolba Creek to reach the animal.

He was stunned by what he found.

“A juvenile wongari (dingo) was stuck inside a crab pot in the mangroves with a large mud crab, and both were distressed,” Dr Behrendorff said in the statement

“Against the rising tide, the ranger was able to open the crab pot and rescue the wongari.

“The dingo hurried off to re-join his pack, and it is extremely lucky to have been rescued instead of drowning in the crab pot when the tide came in.

“It is not known if the crab pot belonged to a recreational or commercial fisher.

“In the past, rangers on K’gari have had to deal with turtles and dingoes that have drowned in crab pots, and fishers on the island, and across Queensland are reminded to follow the rules.

A dingo has been found stuck in a crab pot on Fraser Island.

“Fishers should ensure that their crab pots are always submerged. Crab pots left unattended or exposed pose a danger to marine life and wildlife on K’gari.

“No one is trying to do the wrong thing. We just want to educate people that any animal that becomes tangled in crab pots usually drowns.

“All types of fishing gear left unattended for long periods of time or discarded in the ocean or on the beach poses a threat to marine and land animals.”

This publication understands five dingoes have been caught in crab pots over the past 15 years, with four of the animals drowning.

The latest incident comes after a dingo was found with a fishhook in its paw on Fraser Island.

Fishers are being urged to follow four simple tips to prevent the deaths of marine and land animals:

• Only use traps weighing 3kg or more, so it drops to the sea floor
• Use weighted or non-buoyant line so the traps drops under the surface
• Add vertical lines to traps with wide openings; and check traps regularly and do not forget about them.