Rangers are investigating two encounters between children and dingoes on the popular holiday destination of K’gari in recent days.
A five-year-old girl was bitten on the thigh after running from a dingo near Wathumba beach, on the Queensland sand island, around 3pm on Sunday.
The girl had moved away from a large group of people she was with when a nearby dingo ran at full speed toward her and nipped her on the thigh, according to the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS).
The frightened girl stopped and was bitten again on the thigh before an adult intervened and scared the animal off by waving their hat.
A doctor who was camping on the island treated the girl who received a laceration and bite to her thigh.
On Monday, a boy was chased by a dingo into the water after he became scared and ran from the animal, which had been sleeping under a vehicle.
‘The dingo ran at speed toward the boy as rangers ran through the water and the parents also ran for the boy,’ according to a statement from the QPWS.
‘The dingo lunged, attempting to bite but did not make contact.’
Rangers say in both instances the dingo was a juvenile and are now working to determine if it was same animal.
A series of incidents earlier in the year led rangers to euthanise one dingo which had bitten a woman on the thigh while she was visiting the Heritage-Listed island.
Rangers had tagged the dingo in January but noticed increased behavioural problems including stealing food, persistently approaching people, stalking, circling, lunging, nipping and biting.
The dingo or dingoes involved in the most recent incidents were untagged.
In July, a 24-year-old woman was taken to hospital with numerous bites after being attacked by at least three dingoes while jogging on the beach.
Earlier that month, an eight-year-old boy was taken to hospital after being bitten and scratched when two dingoes approached his family.
Rangers have so far rejected calls to cull the dingo population on the island and blamed visitor behaviour for the spike in incidents.
This article was first published by The Daily Mail on 12 December 2023. Lead Image: Rangers are investigating two encounters between children and dingoes on the popular holiday destination of K’gari in recent days (file picture).
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