Dingo fences to protect Fraser Island tourists

The Queensland government is confident new dingo fences will protect residents and visitors to Fraser Island, where a three-year-old girl was bitten in the fifth dingo attack in 12 months.

The girl was bitten on the back and buttocks on Tuesday, prompting authorities to warn holidaymakers to be wary of the wild dogs.

Environment Minister Andrew McNamara said the attack highlighted the importance of recently erected fences around island townships, which will be electrified next month.

Grates that dingoes are unable to walk over have also been installed over roads into townships, but are filled with sand until the fences are activated.

“Dingoes are wild animals, they are not domesticated dogs,” Mr McNamara said.

“Despite their shy and hungry appearance they can be unpredictable, as this incident has shown.

“People and dingoes don’t mix.”

But resident Judy Daniel said it wasn’t the townships that needed protecting – it was the tourists who stayed on the beaches, and ignored warnings about feeding dingoes.

“The residents know how to handle the dingoes, it’s the tourists (who need protecting),” she said.

“The attacks happen on the beach and not the town, mostly.”

However, John Sinclair, of environmental group the Fraser Island Defenders Organisation, believes residents are also feeding the dingoes.

“The dingoes walk around as if they own the place,” Mr Sinclair said.

“Some (residents) believe dingoes are their friends and they won’t hurt anyone and they are being habitual with them.

“People who think dingoes are absolutely benign really need a lesson in dingo behaviour.”

Queensland Parks and Wildlife rangers are expected to shoot the offending dingo if they can identify it.

It will be the third dog to be destroyed on the island this year because of attacks.

The girl attacked this week was playing near her parents, who were fishing on the beach when the dingo approached.

Her siblings, aged two and seven, were also nearby.

The girl suffered only minor injuries.

Nine-year-old Clinton Gage was attacked and killed by a dingo on Fraser Island in 2001.