Footage released by the Queensland Department of Environment and Science shows the moment the holidaymaker gets a nasty shock while sunbathing on the island of K’gari. The department used the footage to warn of the danger the wild animals pose
Visitors and residents to K’gari (Fraser Island) are urged to be dingo-safe at all times after a serious incident involving a six-year-old girl and a wongari (dingo).
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Moment French sunbather is bitten on the bum by a DINGO … A French tourist was bitten on the bum by a dingo on Fraser Island … Viral video shows the ‘wongari’ freely wondering around tourists
It comes amid a spate of attacks on tourists by the wild dingoes
By Elena Couper and Madeleine Achenza and Aisling Brennan For Nca Newswire
Published: 04:08 EDT, 22 June 2023 | Updated: 04:10 EDT, 22 June 2023
Tourists are being warned to be wary of dingoes when visiting a popular camping spot after disturbing footage emerged of a tourist being nipped by the wild animal while sunbathing.
The shocking footage was filmed a few weeks before a 10-year-old boy was attacked and dragged underwater by a dingo at K’gari Island – formerly known as Fraser Island.
The boy suffered puncture wounds to his shoulder and bruises to his collarbone in the attack, which happened on the west coast of K’gari Island in front of a camping area on June 16.
Assistant principal ranger Danielle Mansfield said rangers were closely monitoring the responsible wongari (dingo), photographed with blood splatters across its face and paws on the day of the attack, although there were no plans to euthanise it.
‘The boy’s 12-year-old-sister who was nearby reacted quickly and ran to assist him,’ she said.
‘The family treated the boy for puncture wounds to his shoulder and arms and scratches and bruises on his collarbone and arm.’
The French tourist was bitten after being startled by the dingo in April or May this year on Fraser Island (pictured)
The French tourist was bitten after being startled by the dingo in April or May this year on Fraser Island (pictured)
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Dashcam footage taken by rangers two weeks prior to the attack shows a dingo pursuing a young boy and an adult male close to where the 10-year-old was dragged into the water.
The dingo was subsequently euthanised for ‘poor behaviour’, although there are no current plans to euthanise the one responsible for the June 16 recent attack.
It comes a few weeks after another dingo was euthanased following a string of attacks, including on a French tourist in her 20s sunbaking on the eastern side of the World Heritage listed island.
Queensland’s Department of Environment and Science (DES) told the ABC that attack, which was caught on camera, occurred in April or May.
The decision to humanely euthanase the animal earlier this month was made after it had attacked multiple other tourists, including a seven-year-old boy and a 42-year-old woman.
Rangers said there have been multiple instances on the island where visitors required assistance after they were stalked or snarled at by the wild animals.
Ms Mansfield said tourists were failing to appropriately supervise their children, which on the island meant keeping them within arm’s reach of an adult at all times.
Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service offered medical assistance to the boy, who sustained no serious injuries, but his family declined.
The animal was later seen ‘loitering’ near the camping ground, digging up food scraps that had been buried in the sand.
Picture: Queensland Department of Environment and Science
Rangers were closely monitoring the responsible wongari (dingo), photographed with blood splatters across its face (pictured) and paws on the day of the attack
Dingoes have been known to attack at random. Picture: Department of Environment and Science
The dingo in the vision (pictured) approached the woman lying down on the beach
This particular dingo was ‘one of a number’ that failed to show any wariness of people, a result of people deliberately or inadvertently feeding the wongari, rangers say.
‘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,’ Ms Mansfield 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.’
‘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.’
Rangers say visitors who discard food or deliberately feed the dingoes have directly caused ‘the current and historic problems’ between the animals and people on the island.
‘This has to stop now, and people have to make (visitors’) personal safety and the safety of their friends and families a priority,’ Ms Mansfield 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.
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The girl was flown to hospital on 3 April 2023 for treatment to three puncture wounds to her head after being bitten by a wongari at Waddy Point.
She is the second person to be bitten by a wongari on the island in 2023, and rangers from the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) are warning against complacency.
QPWS rangers are closely monitoring the wongari at Waddy Point and across the island.
Butchulla Aboriginal Corporation Community Rangers are also assisting QPWS with compliance and education across the island, including the Waddy Point area.
Rangers are continuing to investigate the incident and attempting to identify the responsible animal, which will assist in determining management options within the scope of the Dingo Conservation and Risk Management Strategy.
With thousands of people holidaying on K’gari during the school holidays, parents and carers are reminded to keep children close at all times.
Wongari are a natural and important part of the ecosystems and culture on K’gari. It is important to remember the wongari are wild animals and they are unpredictable.
Between 2018 and 2023, there has been 33 incidents where a wongri has nipped, mouthed or bitten a person on K’gari.
Number of wongari/human incidents resulting in nipping, mouthing or biting
Year Code E
(Nip/Mouth/Bite)
2023 2
2022 3
2021 7
2020 1
2019 10
2018 10
Although there has been a recent reduction in the number of instances where a wongari has nipped, mouthed or bitten a person, the risk remains present.
People are reminded never to feed or interact with wongari. They will chew through anything when looking for food, and people must store their food and rubbish safely and securely.
To help reduce wongari/human interactions, and to prevent wongari from associating people with food, QPWS rangers have a zero tolerance for those who ignore the rules.
People who feed or interact with wongari can expect a $2,300 Penalty Infringement Notice, with a maximum court-imposed penalty of $11,500.
Since 2018, rangers have issued 248 PINs to people who have broken the rules on K’gari. This includes disturbing or interfering with wongari, deliberate feeding, food availability or taking domestic animals onto the island.
Anyone with information about wongari incidents or alleged unlawful behaviour is encouraged to contact a QPWS ranger by calling 07 4127 9150.
People are encouraged to be dingo safe and report any negative dingo encounters to a QPWS ranger or to phone 07 4127 9150 or email [email protected] as soon as possible.
Visitors to Fraser Island are reminded to be dingo safe at all times:
Always stay close (within arm’s reach) of children and young teenagers
Always walk in groups
Camp in fenced areas where possible
Do not run. Running or jogging can trigger a negative dingo interaction
Never feed dingoes
Lock up food stores and iceboxes (even on a boat)
Never store food or food containers in tents, and
Secure all rubbish, fish and bait.
Sources for Report
The State of Queensland (Department of Environment and Science) Issued: 6 Apr 2023
https://www.des.qld.gov.au/our-department/news-media/mediareleases/be-dingo-safe-always
Moment French sunbather is bitten on the bum by a DINGO
By Elena Couper and Madeleine Achenza and Aisling Brennan For Nca Newswire Published: 04:08 EDT, 22 June 2023 | Updated: 04:10 EDT, 22 June 2023 https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12221067/Boy-10-dragged-underwater-dingo.html
Australia: Dingo bites sunbathing tourist in Queensland
Sky News Jun 23, 2023 #dingo #australia #queensland
Footage released by the Queensland Department of Environment and Science shows the moment the holidaymaker gets a nasty shock while sunbathing on the island of K’gari. The department used the footage to warn of the danger the wild animals pose.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKB9tnsczHQ
