A boy has been bitten and dragged under water during a brazen dingo attack on K’gari less than two weeks after another animal was euthanised by park rangers following incidents with tourists.
The attacks prompted renewed warnings for visitors to remain vigilant around the native animals and keep their children nearby at all times.
The 10-year-old was walking along the water’s edge when he was stalked and attacked by an animal near a at K’Gari (formerly Fraser Island) camping area last Friday.
He was saved when his 12-year-old sister intervened to protect her brother.
“The family treated the boy for puncture wounds to his shoulder and arms and scratches and bruises on his collar bone and arm,” ranger Danielle Mansfield said on Thursday.
The tagged wongari (dingo) dug up food scraps buried in the sand near the camping area.
“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,” she said.
Ms Mansfield said the dingo was accustomed to human interaction, showing no wariness around people.
“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 and are not fleeing when yelled at or when someone brandishes a stick.”
Rangers are distributing reminders for people to remain vigilant.
“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,” the ranger said.
Last week’s incident came after a dingo was euthanised earlier in June following months of attacks on the island, including biting a seven-year-old boy and a 42-year-old woman.
– AAP
