Four-year-old girl flown to hospital following dingo attack on K’gari

A four-year-old girl has been flown to Hervey Bay hospital following a dingo attack on K’gari (Fraser Island) on Saturday.

The girl, who was with a large fishing group including eight children at Orchid Beach on the eastern side of the island, was bitten about 11.15am.

A four-year-old girl has been airlifted to Hervey Bay hospital after being bitten by a dingo on K’gari. Credit: File image: Matt Dennien

The Department of Environment, Science and Innovation said the dingo approached the girl and grabbed her around the chest area, causing lacerations, bruising and a puncture wound. She also suffered scratches on her back.

A nearby doctor examined the child and rangers advised the family to meet with paramedics as a precaution. The child was later flown to Hervey Bay due to the abdominal area affected by the bite.

She remains in a stable condition.

Officials said rangers will continue performing patrols around the area and monitoring a male dingo responsible for the attack.

Fishers were being reminded not to allow dingoes to linger nearby and move any animals that approach on, especially around children.

Visitors and residents on K’gari were also told to remain vigilant at all times, keep children close, avoiding walking alone and carry a stick.

All negative dingo interactions should be reported to a QPWS ranger or the Department of Environment, Science and Innovation.

Dingo attacks on K’gari have become more frequent in recent years, partly due to wildlife becoming overly familiar with humans.

There have been multiple attacks in 2024, with 12 “high-risk interactions” recorded in the year to late April.

In May, the island was included in a report commissioned by the Queensland government to assess the sustainability of popular national parks and recreation areas to reduce the impact of visitors.

Capacity limits were among the suggestions to alleviate issues caused by excessive visitor numbers, which included the rising number of dingo attacks, overcrowding in camping areas and upgraded infrastructure to meet demand.