“People need to be held accountable”: K’gari closes camping sites amid string of dingo attacks

dingos are vicious dogs that are native to Australia
Edited by Travel Weekly


    Multiple beachfront camping areas across K’gari (formerly Fraser Island) have been closed amid a string of “irrresponsible” tourists who continue to provoke dingos.

    The island has an array of signage warning visitors not to interact with the native dogs, but there continues to be a rise in reports of people flouting the rules.

    Beachfront camping zones 3 (Poyungan and Winnam), 4 (Guluri and Eli) and 5 (Maheno and Wahba) were closed from 17 August until further notice, the QLD Government wrote on its website.

    It has advised travellers that there are plenty of alternative camping areas available including beachfront camping zones 1 (Govi and Wongai), 2 (One Tree, Cornwells, Gabala) and 6 (Eugarie, Yurru and Guruman), or in the fenced camping areas at Eli, One Tree, Wongai and Cornwells on the eastern side of the island.

    Travellers have also been advised to steer clear of preparing or consuming food and sunbaking at Eli Creek and lakeshores areas.

    There have been a number of high-risk interactions between visitors and dingoes currently frequenting the area between Poyungan Rocks and The Pinnacles.

    Rangers are closely monitoring the wongari situation and will be conducting additional patrols and briefings in cooperative wongari management to educate visitors on dingo safety and awareness.

    Rangers are taking this action in line with the Dingo Conservation and Risk Management Strategy to reduce the potential for further negative interactions, and to minimise the risks of increased habituation by the animals to help ensure the long-term conservation of the wongari population on K’gari.

    Humane Society International’s Evan Quatermain told Yahoo Australia, “the actions of a few ruin it for the many.”

    “The value of the dingo on K’gari is greater than the value of tourism so something has to change… People need to be held accountable”.

    Recently, a woman was flown to hospital after being attacked by four dingoes on Orchid Beach, K’gari.

    Featured Image: iStock/ozflash

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