K’gari dingoes not relocated to Bunya Mountains, says council

An increase in close encounters and dingo sightings in the Bunya Mountains had raised concerns among some South Burnett residents that dingoes from Fraser Island were being relocated to the mainland.

The South Burnett Regional Council responded to the rumours that dingos have been relocated from K’gari to the Bunya Mountains after increased sightings.

An increase in dingo close encounters and sightings in the Bunya Mountains was not due to any dingoes being relocated to the region from K’gari or anywhere else, the South Burnett Regional Council emphasised this week.

The council addressed the issue at its Wednesday meeting and dispelled any rumour that any dingoes had been relocated.

A motion was passed in January to support and provide funding for Be Dingo Safe awareness signs at the Alan Stirling Park in the Bunya Mountains.

During that discussion councillor Heath Sanders said there had been rumours that dingoes from K’gari had been relocated to the Bunyas and asked the council to find out if this was true.

“Over the last few years there has been a lot of chatter that the dingoes have been relocated from Fraser Island,” he said.

“Is there any way we can get this information from National Parks and Wildlife to see if they are actually transferring the problem from Fraser Island to the Bunya Mountains?”

A dingo on K'gari.

Mayor Kathy Duff said no dingoes had been relocated to the region from K’gari and there were no plans to do so in the future.

“The department has never relocated K’gari (Fraser Island) wongari to the ‘wild’ on the mainland and does not currently support any proposal to relocate Fraser Island dingoes to ‘wild’ or ‘captive’ situations on the mainland,” she read from an official statement.

First-hand accounts posted on social media of sightings and interactions with dingoes had prompted heated debate around whether the animals were in fact dingoes or wild dogs.

People have reported being “stalked” by dingoes, seeing an increase in numbers close to homes and that the animals did not appear scared of people.

Police investigate assaults at Gympie Bull n Bronc

The cost of misinformation in a changing climate

Contrary to what many people believe, dingoes can be either tan or black. However, black dingoes are more common in mountain areas along the eastern coast of Australia. Source: Jay Town

“ … We saw several of these just laying about in the open and sniffing around the house yard on our last trip,” one commenter said.

“No fear but not yet as brazen as the Fraser Coast ones.

“We have been visitors to the Bunya Mountains over Christmas break for over 30 years,” another commenter said.

“We were aghast in Christmas 2023 while staying at Clear Views the number of wild dogs/dingoes running rampant through the yards of houses in the Bunya Mountains Village area.”

The Bunya Mountains Dingo Management Stakeholders Group said the increase in dingo sightings was related to an increase in tourism, which has resulted in an increase in rubbish and roadkill, providing a plentiful food source for the animals.

Many commenters questioned whether the animals were in fact dingoes due to their dark coats and not just wild dogs, and questioned whether a noticeable decrease in the local wallaby population was related.

“Funny that the decimation of the wallaby population coincides with the increased presence of wild dogs – or dingoes as they are referred to now,” one commenter wrote.

“I wonder if DNA testing has been done to actually confirm that these are dingoes.”

According to an article by Queensland Country Life, DNA testing was done on two specimens from the Bunya Mountains area a few years ago which showed their dingo purity was more than 90 per cent.

The South Burnett Regional Council and Western Downs Regional Council will both contribute to the cost and design of the Be Dingo Safe awareness signage that will be erected around the Bunya Mountains.