Two dingoes attack toddler
STATE Government rangers say they have captured both dingoes they believe were involved an the attack on a three-year-old girl on Fraser Island on Monday.
STATE Government rangers say they have captured both dingoes they believe were involved an the attack on a three-year-old girl on Fraser Island on Monday.
One dingo, which had not been able to be trapped by the Department of Environment and Resource Management, has been shot and the other is reported to have been destroyed yesterday.
The toddler reportedly wandered away from adults who were waiting for the vehicle ferry at Hook Point.
An ambulance spokeswoman said the incident occurred about 2.45pm.
After receiving first aid on the ferry, the girl was met by paramedics at Inskip Point and transported to Gympie Hospital where she remained last night.
Her injuries are understood to have been minor and her condition was described as stable throughout the ordeal.
“She suffered multiple puncture wounds to her lower legs,” the spokeswoman said.
Other news reports yesterday indicated the injuries were minor, though upsetting for the child.
One witness told media the dingoes had been sitting about 50m from people waiting for the ferry.
Although some reports said the girl was waiting with family members when the attack occurred, the witness told AAP she had wandered out of sight into bushes and the dingoes followed.
He said the dogs had pinned her down for between five and 10 seconds and the girl was “quite traumatised".
DERM general manager Terry Harper told ABC Radio the incident had occurred without warning.
Presenting a different version of events, he reportedly said the dingoes came out of the bushes and attacked the child.
He denied dingo food supplies were low on the island.
Dingo conservationists yesterday blamed government policies.
One said she and some witnesses were concerned the child was not under adult supervision in a wilderness area.
In a formal statement, the Save Fraser Island Dingoes group said the increased frequency of dingo attacks clearly showed government management policies were not working.
President Malcolm Kilpatrick said: “It’s time the Queensland National Parks stopped playing the blame game and took responsibility for 10 years of dingo mismanagement.”
He said cruel QPWS tactics, including the use of shock collars and ear-tagging, were recognised by experts as causing “these once shy and timid animals to become aggressive".
No comment could be obtained yesterday from the office of Environment Minister Kate Jones.
Originally published as Two dingoes attack toddler
