Tourists warned of ‘concerning’ dingo attacks, euthanisation being considered

Dingo sticks are being distributed at one popular tourist destination after a woman was chased and bitten more than 30 times.

“Dingo sticks” have been issued to tourists visiting K’gari after the latest dog attack on the Queensland tourist island where a woman was chased down and mauled by a pack of dingoes.

Officials have warned that dingoes are showing “very concerning” behaviour after months of attacks on humans.

On Monday morning, a 24-year-old woman was jogging in the Orchid Beach area when she was set upon by four wongari (dingoes), one of which was known to rangers.

She ran into the ocean in an attempt to escape but was followed by the animals, suffering more than 30 bites to her arms, legs and torso throughout the ordeal.

It was later confirmed that one of the wongari identified in the attack had been involved in a previous incident at the popular tourist destination, formerly known as Fraser Island.

In the wake of the attack, bins of PVC piping have been put around the island to arm tourists against the dingoes.

The woman was taken to Hervey Bay Hospital for treatment. Picture: 7 News

Government officials, rangers, traditional owners and community members will meet on Wednesday to discuss the latest incident.

Just last month a 10-year-old boy was dragged underwater by a dingo, only weeks after a sunbather was bitten on the beach.

Environment Minister Leanne Linard said on Tuesday that euthanisation was “obviously a consideration” that would be discussed.

“It is a significant step to euthanise a dingo,” she said.

“We are talking about a wild animal, it is an animal that’s native to the island.”

Environment Minister Leanne Linard said euthanisation of the dingoes was ‘obviously a consideration’. Picture: Facebook

Ms Linard said while an investigation was under way and the dingoes involved in Monday’s attack were being monitored, their behaviour was not out of the ordinary.

“Dingoes are pack animals,” she said.

“They tend to be very territorial and they stay within their particular area, whether that’s on the beach or other areas on the island.

“It has not been relayed to me that the behaviour was in any way abnormal for them, but it was very concerning that they weren’t frightened away.”

One of the wongari involved in the incident was collared (not pictured). Picture: Queensland Department of Environment and Science

The 24-year-old victim was saved after she was spotted by two men driving a four-wheel-drive ute on the beach.

The men veered the vehicle towards the wongari to try to scare them off before leaping from the vehicle and punching the animals to rescue the woman.

She was placed in the ute tray and taken to the Orchid Beach fenced area where first aid was provided to injuries on her arms.

The woman was subsequently flown to Hervey Bay hospital for further treatment.

One of the men involved in the rescue also sustained an injury to his hand during the ordeal.

The woman was saved by two men driving past on the beach. Picture: Facebook

Head ranger Linda Behrendorff said the woman had been alone on a run when she caught the attention of the pack that was known to be “comfortable” with the Orchid Beach area.

“Unfortunately, for this woman this morning, she was alone and ended up in a situation that was quite compromising to her because of that,” she said.

“Don’t run, they will chase you.”

It was not unusual that the wongari pursued the woman into the ocean, as it is a method commonly used by the animals when hunting animals such as wallabies.

They push their prey into the water to tire it out before killing it.

The dingo that attacked the 10-year-old boy on June 16. Picture: Queensland Department of Environment and Science

A dingo was euthanised after it was filmed biting a sunbathing tourist early last month. Picture: Queensland Department of Environment and Science

While euthanisation is considered a “last resort”, it isn’t unheard of on the island.

A dingo was terminated early last month after it was filmed biting a tourist sunbathing on the beach – the first wongari to be put down since 2019.

Following the June 16 incident in which the 10-year-old boy was attacked in front of a camping area, rangers said tourists were to blame for the “current and historic” incidents with the wongari.

Assistant principal ranger Danielle Mansfield said the animals’ increasingly brazen behaviour was caused by visitors deliberately or inadvertently feeding the dingoes.

“This has to stop now, and people have to make (visitors’) personal safety and the safety of their friends and families a priority,” she said.

The dingo or wongari is considered native wildlife under the Nature Conservation Act 1992 and is protected in national parks.

K’gari is a World Heritage-listed island along Queensland’s southeastern coast and is part of the Great Sandy National Park, known for its long beaches, forests and pristine freshwater lakes.