Dingo bites French tourist on backside at K’gari

Video has emerged of a dingo taking a cheeky nip at a sunbathing tourist on K’gari, days after a child was grabbed and dragged underwater by a dingo on the World Heritage-listed island.

A warning has been issued ahead of the school holidays after a 10-year-old boy was grabbed on the shoulder by a dingo and dragged under water in front of a camping area on the west coast of K’gari.

At the same time, video has emerged of one of the animals nipping an unsuspecting French tourist on the bottom while she sunbathed on an island beach.

She quickly jumped up from her towel where she had been lying face down, as the group of people around her moved forward in concern.

K’gari assistant principal ranger Danielle Mansfield said in relation to the child incident, a 10-year-old boy was walking alone at the water’s edge when he was grabbed on June 16.

“The boy’s 12-year-old-sister who was nearby reacted quickly and ran to assist him,” Ms Mansfield said.

“The family treated the boy for puncture wounds to his shoulder and arms and scratches and bruises on his collarbone and arm.

“Thankfully, he sustained no serious injuries, and when the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service offered medical assistance, the family declined.

A warning has been issued ahead of the school holidays after a 10-year-old boy was grabbed on the shoulder by a dingo and dragged under water in front of a camping area on the west coast of K’gari.

“Rangers identified the tagged wongari (dingo), and it was later seen loitering near the camping area, where it was digging up food scraps that had been buried in the sand.

“Rangers chased the animal away from the camping area and we have increased patrols in the region to monitor the wongari’s behaviour and pass on dingo-safe messaging to campers and visitors.”

It comes just months after a similar incident at Waddy Point in which a six-year-old girl was held underwater by a dingo on the island.

The animal reportedly held her underwater for a few seconds before nearby family members were able to get the dingo off her.

She sustained multiple minor bites to her head and fingers.

Earlier this month a dingo was destroyed after a series of incidents involving tourists on the island.

The decision followed a series of “serious incidents” which included the biting of a seven-year-old boy on June 1, and the biting of a 42-year-old woman on June 4.

Ms Mansfield said the wongari was highly habituated and was not showing any wariness of people.

A dingo on K’gari. Photos: Des Houghton

“Rangers believe this animal is one of a number of wongari that have been deliberately or inadvertently fed which is why they’re showing no fear of people,” she said.

“These animals are capable of inflicting serious harm and they have bitten children and adults, and some are quite brazen are not fleeing when yelled at or when someone brandishes a stick.

“We have had instances where commercial operators have come to the aid of people who are being stalked or snarled at.

“We are providing dingo-safe messaging to parents and carers each day, and there are too many instances where children are not being appropriately supervised.

“On K’gari, this means children and teenagers must be within arm’s reach of an adult at all times, even if you can’t see any dingoes in the area.”

A video has also emerged of a dingo nipping a French tourist on the bottom while she was sunbathing on K’gari.

Ms Mansfield said visitors and residents to the island must remain vigilant at all times, and cannot leave children and teenagers unsupervised.

“People think it won’t happen to them, but it can happen to anyone and that’s why rangers are providing dingo-safe information to as many people as possible,” she said.

“We don’t want any incidents on K’gari, and people must understand that dingoes are wild animals and should never be fed or interacted with.

“People who think it is harmless to throw a sausage or discarded bait or fish frame to the dingoes have caused the current and historic problems we are having with these dingoes.

“Rangers have observed them lingering around camping areas and parked vehicles, and that means they’re trying to solicit food from visitors because they’ve previously been fed.

“This has to stop now, and people have to make their personal safety and the safety of their friends and families a priority.”

Originally published as Dingo bites French tourist on backside at K’gari