K'gari, Great Sandy National Park Butchulla Country Fraser Coast

Be Dingo-Safe! on K'gari

The best way to protect yourself, fellow visitors and the dingoes (wongari) is by planning ahead to Be Dingo-Safe.

Critical information for your safety

Critical information for your safety is included in the conditions report—always check it before you visit.

People-dingo interactions

    Let them be wild

    It is irresponsible and reckless to interact or interfere with a dingo. It endangers your life and that of the dingo. Watch dingoes from a safe distance. Never approach a dingo. It is also an offence and penalties apply.

    It is irresponsible and reckless to interact or interfere with a dingo. It endangers your life and that of the dingo. Watch dingoes from a safe distance. Never approach a dingo. It is also an offence and penalties apply.

    Photo credit: Queensland Government

    It is an offence to feed a dingo, attract it using food or food waste, or disturb it anywhere on K'gari, whether on public or private land. Penalties apply.

    Dingo sightings on K'gari can be rare, depending on the season. They are wild animals and unpredictable. K'gari dingoes have rarely interbred with domestic or feral dogs and, in time, may become one of the purest strains of wild dingo on the eastern Australian seaboard, possibly Australia-wide.

    Dingoes search for prey and other food within well-defined home territories, across the island. K'gari's dingoes are healthy and are naturally lean and fit. Pack leaders, or alpha males/females, appear healthier and well fed. Subordinate and scapegoat pack dogs are generally more lean than the dominant animals.

    Dingoes sometimes approach campsites or houses to scavenge food and even personal belongings that have the scent of food on them.

    Dingoes sometimes approach campsites or houses to scavenge food and even personal belongings that have the scent of food on them.

    Photo credit: Queensland Government

    When you're in dingo territory

    People and dingoes share high-use recreational sites including beaches and lake shores and this increased contact with people has turned many dingoes into a public nuisance. Some dingoes have become so high-risk that they have to be euthanised. This is done as a last resort, after thorough identification processes, and is carried out humanely by trained and authorised rangers only.

    Attracting and feeding dingoes make the animals less fearful of people and dependent on hand-outs. Hunting skills decline and they may become aggressive towards people who don't feed them.

    Dingoes have a keen sense of smell and are attracted by activity and food smells. Sometimes they are simply curious.

    When camping, living or working on K'gari you must store your food, rubbish and belongings securely. Making your camp site or house yard boring and unattractive to dingoes, means they may pass through and leave you and your belongings alone.

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    Let them grow up wild. Do not feed them. Fed dingoes become aggressive and may attack people particularly children.

    Let them grow up wild. Do not feed them. Fed dingoes become aggressive and may attack people particularly children.

    Photo credit: Queensland Government

    What happens when people feed dingoes?

    When dingoes are fed or scavenge rubbish, they often lose their effective hunting skills and start to depend on scraps and hand-outs. They also lose their natural fear of humans and expect food from everybody.

    Dingoes then visit camps, picnic areas, resorts and residences, follow people and tear open tents looking for food. Pups from these dingoes are not taught to hunt effectively; instead they grow up scavenging from these areas. As a result, they are no longer wary of people and often become aggressive and, on one occasion, a dingo tragically killed a child.

    Dingoes have bitten visitors, occasionally quite severely, and are capable of killing people.

    Dingoes will fight to gain dominance. People should not mistake this for playfulness.

    Dingoes will fight to gain dominance. People should not mistake this for playfulness.

    Photo credit: Queensland Government

    When dingoes come close

    Dingoes will occasionally approach humans because they are naturally curious. They should be treated with absolute caution. Remember, these are wild and unpredictable animals.

    Dingoes on K'gari have chased joggers and children who are playing. What appears as playful dog behaviour is actually serious dominance testing by the dingoes, which can lead to aggression. Avoid jogging and running as it can attract and excite dingo attention and trigger a negative interaction.

    People walking alone have been threatened and nipped by dingoes. Stay in small groups.

    Some dingoes visit lakes and hunt around the shorelines. They will snatch picnics and will open unsecured ice boxes, especially if they are on the ground. They may become aggressive when people try to pull food away. Don't take food or drinks, except water, to lake shores.

    Be aware that at Lake McKenzie, all food and drinks, except water, are definitely prohibited.

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    Dingoes have bitten visitors, occasionally quite severely, and are capable of killing people.

    Dingoes have bitten visitors, occasionally quite severely, and are capable of killing people.

    Photo credit: Queensland Government

    Dingo attacks

    People who feed or encourage dingoes contribute to those animals becoming habituated or learning to associate food with people, and the need to dominate for access to food—a natural instinct of a wild predator. This leads to dominance testing against people, and often children are targeted. If successful, the dingoes then move into more and more aggressive tactics to get access to food. This can result in serious bites or mauling and in some cases small groups of three or four dingoes have attacked together. This frightening experience for people is often directly related to someone who has fed or encouraged these dingoes in the past.

    If you feel threatened by a dingo:

    • stand up to your full height
    • face the dingo
    • fold your arms and keep eye contact
    • calmly back away
    • if in pairs, stand back to back
    • confidently call for help
    • do not run or wave your arms.

    Also see: Be dingo-safe on K'gari (Fraser Island)

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    Dingoes move quickly! Always stay very close to your children.

    Dingoes move quickly! Always stay very close to your children.

    Photo credit: Illustration: Maria-Ann Loi for Queensland Government

    Dingoes and children

    Always stay very close to your children. Many children are scared by dingoes. Some have been bitten by dingoes that want food or have been excited by children’s movements. Children are vulnerable because their size does not intimidate a dingo as much as an adult person. Even small teenagers are at risk.

    Do not expect your children to remember what to do if a dingo comes close or threatens them. Parents: stay alert! Dingoes move quickly. Stay very close to your children (within arm's reach) and never let them sleep in a tent without adults.

    Watch this short safety video clip for quick information.

    Download a Be dingo-safe! flyer (PDF, 8.6MB) to take to the island with you.

    People who need to bush toilet generally sit in a squatting position. This makes them vulnerable to dingo bites. Be dingo-safe! Never go alone.

    People who need to bush toilet generally sit in a squatting position. This makes them vulnerable to dingo bites. Be dingo-safe! Never go alone.

    Photo credit: Queensland Government

    Bush toileting? Never go alone!

    Toilet facilities are available, but sometimes visitors have to bush toilet. Everyone should take care when bush toileting on K'gari.

    Some of the beach camping areas are popular for large groups, such as backpacker groups. These beach areas are cleared areas, behind the foredunes and have few or no facilities. Noise and cooking smells will attract dingoes that may stay out of sight, waiting for an opportunity to steal some food. People needing to bush toilet—especially women and children—should never go alone, in case dingoes are around. One person should always stand nearby and keep a look out for dingoes.

    Dingoes are attracted to and will try to dig up bush toilet sites. Always dig a very deep hole—at least 50cm deep and 50m from any watercourse—and bury your toilet waste (including used toilet paper) as soon as you have finished. Do not bury soiled sanitary items and nappies or leave them lying around. Place these items into a bag and a sealed rubbish container, and bin them as soon as you can.

    It is recommended that campers who choose to camp in low or no facility areas bring their own portable toilet and use the portable toilet waste disposal facilities located across the island. Waste disposal locations include the southern entrance to Cornwall’s beach camping area and the Dundubara campground entrance track. Do not bury chemical toilet waste.

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    Dingoes will catch fish in the shallows off the beach or from temporary lagoons that form between the water’s edge and the foredunes.

    Dingoes will catch fish in the shallows off the beach or from temporary lagoons that form between the water’s edge and the foredunes.

    Photo credit: Queensland Government

    Fishing

    The beach on K'gari is dingo territory too. They roam along the shore looking for any washed up remnants of dead marine life. They are attracted to anything left lying on the beach—buckets, plastic bait bags, berley sacks etc.—and will investigate anything for traces of food.

    When fishing, keep fish and bait in sealed containers or in your vehicle. This also applies to berley. Fish cleaning in all campsites is prohibited. Certain areas along the beach, high visitation sites or entrances to townships, are designated ‘Fish cleaning prohibited’ areas and are clearly signposted.

    Bait and fish should be kept with you in shoulder bags or in the vehicle. Do not leave anything in open beach buckets and keep berley and fish remains in sealed containers; not tied to the outside of the vehicle.

    Bury fish offal and remains in a deep hole (50 cm at least), just below the high tide mark. Do this when there are no dingoes around to stop them associating food with people. High penalties apply for feeding or making food available to dingoes. This also applies to berley bags that are hung outside the vehicle. Keep all fishing tackle, bait and your catch secure.

    Report dingo encounters

    Report negative dingo encounters—circling, lunging or being chased or bailed up by one or more dingoes, tearing tents or stealing property, nipping, biting or worse—to a Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) Ranger or phone 13 QGOV (13 74 68) as soon as possible. Mobile phone charges may apply.

    For all emergencies phone Triple Zero (000)

    Try 112 from a mobile phone if you have no reception.

    For all non-urgent medical assistance, phone 13 12 33.

    If you have information about any other encounter with a dingo you can email Dingo.Ranger@des.qld.gov.au with the details.

    Remember QPWS rangers profile all known dingoes and positive or neutral encounters are welcome too.

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    Increased fines for disturbing, feeding dingoes

    It is illegal to disturb or feed wongari (dingo), which includes attracting them with food or food waste. On K’gari (formerly Fraser Island) an increased maximum fine of $12,384 and an on-the-spot fine of $2,476 now apply to those people who break the law. Be dingo-safe.