Dingo bites 4yo boy on thigh on Fraser Island, in second attack in weeks

A four-year-old boy has been bitten by a dingo, in the second attack on Fraser Island off south-east Queensland in weeks.

The Department of Environment and Science said two boys, aged four and five, were near a car at a home in Orchid Beach, when they were approached by the dingo.

The dingo sniffed the older boy before the younger boy was bitten on the thigh as the pair ran towards the house.

He suffered two small red marks and a graze to his thigh and did not require medical assistance.

The boys’ parents managed to chase the dingo away into the bush following the incident.

Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) rangers are trying to determine which dingo was involved.

It is the third instance of a dingo attacking a child at Orchid Beach this year, and the second in weeks.

In April, a two-year-old boy was flown to hospital after being attacked by a dingo at the same location.

Another child was bitten in February and suffered minor injuries to his knee and hand.

Rangers are warning people that a pack of dingoes in the Orchid Beach area is approaching people for food.

“It’s believed the dingo pack has been inadvertently or deliberately fed by residents and visitors, and has lost its natural wariness of people,” the environment department said in a statement.

“People are reminded to be dingo safe and not to feed or interact with dingoes, as this can contribute to their habituation and cause them to become aggressive while seeking food.

“People are encouraged to remain vigilant and report any negative dingo encounters to a QPWS ranger or to phone (07) 4127 9150 or email [email protected] as soon as possible.”

Dingoes ‘just acting instinctively’

Save Fraser Island Dingoes spokeswoman Cheryl Bryant said the number of recent attacks was “disconcerting”.

“There are so many more people on the island, we’re getting more negative interactions and that’s really the crux of the problem,” she said.

“If people are encouraging them [like taking] selfies — which we know that’s happening — are enticing them with food, then of course, the dingoes are going to hang around.

“The dingoes are just acting instinctively and doing what dingoes do.

“If people do the right thing, follow the rules, [there’s] very little likelihood of them being bitten.”

Ms Bryant advised visitors with small children to stay within the fenced areas.

“If you’re on the beach and see a dingo, encounter a dingo, don’t encourage it, don’t go near it — just enjoy the experience of seeing an animal in its natural habitat and just leave it be,” she said.

Ms Bryant said she would like to see more community rangers on the island, especially during peak periods.

“I think we can always look at more education and there is a lot on the island but … there’s always room for improvement,” she said.