Dingo Attacks on Kids Prompt Calls for Camping Restrictions on K’gari

The Mayor of Queensland’s Fraser Coast, George Seymour, has called for camping restrictions on families with children under 12 after a string of incidents between wongari/dingo and children on K’gari.

The call comes off the back of a slew of incidents on the island this year between people and wongari/dingoes, with 9 of the last 16 ‘high-risk’ dingo attacks involving children under the age of 17.

‘This is getting to the stage where it is frightening, whether the next one will be a fatality or not’, Cr Seymour told the ABC.

Dingoes are Protected on K’gari

In K’gari’s Great Sandy National Park dingoes, or wongari, are considered part of the island’s ecology and are protected by law. The dingoes that live on K’gari are a native species and are considered the purest strain of dingo on Australia’s East Coast. Their conservation is of national significance.

The main townships and some campsites on K’gari are fenced to exclude dingoes. Visitors to K’gari with children under 14 are advised to camp within areas with dingo-deterrent fencing, but it’s currently optional. Detailed information is provided to all visitors to K’gari on how to be dingo safe, and it encourages all children, including small teenagers, to stay within arms’ reach of adults at all times.

With school holidays just around the corner, it’s a timely reminder for families to consider the risks of visiting the beautiful island of K’gari, which draws an estimated 400,000 people each year. Whilst wongari/dingoes are a part of the island’s tourism drawcard, it’s important to remember that this is their home, and vigilance is required by all visitors – in particular those with young children.

Dingo on the beach at K’gari | @together_wewillwander

Should families visit K’gari?

Butchulla Aboriginal Corporation ranger, Darren Blake, commented to the ABC that if families want a relaxing holiday consider the Sunny Coast or Gold Coast instead, ‘where you don’t have wild dingoes coming out on the beach’.

People who violate the strict laws protecting wongari/dingoes face on-the-spot fines. While the wongari/dingoes may seem friendly and familiar, keeping a safe distance is imperative to reduce habituation between wongari/dingoes and humans, which increases the chance of harm for both.

The Mayor understands that implementing stricter rules around camping and children could reduce visitor numbers, but believes that to be a good thing. His primary concern ‘is for the safety of children and the preservation of wilderness’.

Feature image by @frankied123 on Unsplash