Be Dingo-Safe

Few animals have aroused as much controversy as Australia's wild dog, the Dingo. The 'Fraser Island' Dingo is believed to be the purest strain of Dingo in Australia. They roam the beaches, bushland and rainforest freely and have become quite accustomed to the presence of locals and the thousands of tourists.

Dingoes live for around 10 years and breed only once a year with litters of around 4-6 pups. They are predominantly a sandy yellow colour and sometimes tan with black. The habitat usually determines the colour. The dingo doesn't bark so they tend to howl at night sometimes to help keep the family together and no doubt act as a deterrent for others.

The dingo is a scavenger and will act quickly to steal anything unguarded that smells like a bit of good tucker, particularly fish and its remains. With the numerous dingoes, the island's plentiful goannas and the odd crow, it certainly isn't advisable to leave food in the open. In the past, we have often returned from a day's fishing to find a goanna or two searching inside the tent (probably for eggs or chicken). It is now recommended to leave your tent open so the dingos can plainly see there is nothing hidden inside for them to take. Fish offal must also be buried at least 30cm deep in the sand below high tide to discourage them from scavenging. Dingoes are naturally lean looking somewhat like a greyhound but don't be fooled thinking they are starving. They are not particularly fussy about what they eat and will eat everything from berries to small animals. 

Dingo - Canis Familiaris Dingo 

You are not allowed to feed the dingoes as this upsets the natural balance of the ecosystem where they should forage for their own food and the animals then tend to hang around campsites waiting for handouts. There have been several attacks reported over the years, and recently a tragic attack, but we have always respected the fact that though they may look friendly, they are still wild and you should keep your distance.

In a recent local newspaper article, two dingoes which attacked a German tourist at Lake McKenzie were put down by rangers. The German women was airlifted to Hervey Bay hospital for treatment and released the same day. The ranger said the dingoes were among about 50 being watched by rangers around the island because they were in the 6 to 10 month age group, which could show danger signs. The ranger added that some visitors had been a little blasé about interacting with the animals and ignoring the warnings not to feed them. "The message just isn't getting through", he said.

Unfortunately, the dingo came under scrutiny again as a young boy was attacked and killed in April 2001 on Fraser Island. The two dingoes responsible were promptly killed and the government requested an immediate cull of other dingoes found hanging around the campsites to try and prevent a repeat of the situation. As a result 31 dingoes were destroyed. In the future, dingoes deemed to be dangerous or adopting unacceptable interactive behaviour with humans will also be destroyed 

Remember, Dingoes are a wild animal and can be dangerous when provoked and they can bite.

• Always stay close to your children, including young teenagers.
• Walk in groups.
• Do not encourage or coax dingoes.
• Never feed dingoes.
• Secure all food and rubbish in strong, lockable containers.
• If attacked, defend yourself aggressively.

The Queensland Department of Environment have released a dingo-smart brochure which is provided to all visitors entering Fraser Island.  [ Follow this link for more on being DINGO-SAFE. ] The brochure explains how to interact with the dingo, important Do's and Don'ts, and even advice on what to do if you feel threatened by a dingo. You can also follow the link to download a brochure on "Camping with Children - Be Dingo Aware" 

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