Young girl suffers ‘significant’ lacerations after dingo attack at Hook Point on K’gari

A young girl has been hospitalised following a horrific dingo attack that has left her with “significant” lacerations on a heritage-listed sand island off the coast of Queensland.

A young girl has suffered “significant” lacerations to her leg after being bitten by a dingo on K’gari, formerly known as Fraser Island.

A Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) spokeswoman said the primary school-aged girl was bitten by the animal at Hook Point, on the southernmost tip of the heritage-listed sand island, about 12.30pm on Friday.

She was taken to Gympie Hospital on the mainland with “significant” lacerations to her leg, before being transferred to Sunshine Coast University Hospital.

A girl was taken to Gympie Hospital after being bitten by a dingo at Hook Point, on the southernmost point of K’gari (Fraser Island). Picture: Getty Images

Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) has been contacted for comment.

The incident follows another girl being bitten by a dingo at the barge landing at Hook Point just a week earlier.

A family was waiting for the barge at Hook Point on January 4 and observed a dingo – also known as a wongari – loitering around the barge landing.

In a statement a QPWS spokesperson said the mother left her vehicle to take pictures of the animal, unaware her child had also gotten out.

“The dingo approached the girl, who became frightened and ran,” the spokesperson said.

“The dingo followed and bit the girl on the thigh before nearby people chased the dingo away.”

One high profile attack in 2023 involved a dingo biting an unaware French tourist on the buttocks while she was sunbathing. Picture: Supplied

Rangers are investigating the incident and are attempting to identify the dingo involved.

Nearly 30 dingo attacks were recorded on K’gari over 2023 – compared to just five in 2022 and 13 in 2021.

Some of the most high-profile incidents include video of a French tourist being bitten on the buttocks as she sunbathed, while in June a 10-year-old boy was attacked and dragged underwater by a dingo on the west coast of K’gari in front of a camping area.

Another young girl was flown to hospital by the RACQ Lifeflight helicopter after she was attacked while swimming in April 2023. Picture: Supplied

The Queensland government has pledged an additional $2m in funding this financial year, along with another $3m annually, to boost public safety on the island.

It will fund jobs for another six QPWS rangers, three specialist staff and four additional Indigenous rangers in partnership with K’gari’s traditional owners.

The spate of attacks last year prompted “dingo sticks” to be issued to visiting tourists as a protective measure.

It was specifically prompted by a woman being chased into the surf in July 2023 and bitten up to 30 times by the animals.