Douglas dingoes are being monitored closely after retreating further into their habitat
Two Port Douglas dingoes have escaped council's lethal control measures by moving further into their territory but experts warn ‘their fate is sealed.’
Dingoes on death row in a Far North town appear to have slipped away from the local council’s grips.
Douglas Shire Council recently backed its bait, trap and shoot approach after Councillors declared dogs caught roaming Port Douglas should be removed to avoid any attacks on children.
The decision came after more than 30 complaints about their aggressive behaviour near resorts and a local petition calling for dingo protection.
But a council spokesman this week confirmed no immediate action would be taken.
“The majority of the complaints mentioned in the report occurred between September 2024 and January 2025,” he said.
“The dingoes have since moved to a different part of their known territory, where they remain closely monitored by officers.
“Council will continue to follow its legislative duty and trap these animals if there is a risk to public safety, while also focusing on increased community education to prevent these issues from arising in the future.”
It comes as Queensland Parks and WIldlife Service launches an investigation after a school boy was flown to hospital with head injuries after being bitten by a dingo on K’Gari.
The native animal lives naturally in the area but under existing rules are not distinguished from wild dogs, which mean council can take lethal steps to manage problem animals.
Southern Queensland University researcher and dingo expert Dr Ben Allen featured in several unpaid videos with council in 2024, aimed at educating residents about the issue.
He said as unfortunate as it was, once dingoes habituated their “fate was sealed”.
“If you want to try and minimise the harm to dingoes do everything you can to lock up your stuff and treat them nonchalantly … urban areas are where the disperses end up, its an attractive area but its not a safe area,” he said.
“A fed dingo is a dead dingo. It’s an unfortunate situation that arises from habitation, but there is no end that doesn’t end in a dead dingo, it's just a matter of how much stress you want to put that dingo in.
“You could trap it, transport it somewhere else before its released and wanders and is eventually killed by another dingo there’s really no way out of this scenario.”
Mr Allen said the most important problem was designing a plan to prevent animals from becoming habituated in the first place.
The researcher is a polarising figure in some conservation circles for his role in the 2016 Pelorus Island control plan dubbed “death row dingoes”.
In this project, two dingoes were fitted with radio collars and delayed release 1080 poison and put onto the island to manage feral goat population.
Dingo advocate and behavioural researcher Jen Parker argued Douglas Shire’s proximity to expansive national parks and green space made the situation unique.
“Advice to use lethal control methods doesn’t take into account the local dingo population’s unique characteristics and the area’s proximity to national parks where dingoes are protected,” she said.
“Educating residents and visitors about dingo behaviour, habitat, and safety guidelines can help reduce conflicts and promote coexistence.
“Finding a balance between protecting human safety and preserving the dingo population’s ecological role could be key to resolving the controversy.”
Originally published as Douglas dingoes are being monitored closely after retreating further into their habitat
