There has been a string of dingo attacks on K’gari off the coast of southeast Queensland in the last month. In the latest two, dingoes chased women into the ocean. Four dingoes set upon one woman who suffered multiple bite wounds to her arms and legs before two men in a 4WD came to her aid. She was airlifted to Hervey Bay Hospital. Following the attack, one of the dingoes, known to rangers, was euthanised.
Despite the countless warning signs on the island, tourists continue to go against the ranger’s advice, feeding and interacting with the vulnerable dingo population, making them unafraid of humans and more prone to attack.
On today’s episode of The Briefing, world-renowned dingo expert Dr Bradley Smith from Central Queensland University talks to Tom Tilley about what to do if you come face-to-face with a dingo.
“Because they’re small, if we stand tall, we actually are a bit intimidating to the dingo. So, standing tall and not turning our back, not waving our arms around and running around because that kind of acts like prey.”
“We really need to fix the underlying problem, which is a human problem. I don’t think there’s a dingo problem on the island, I think there’s a people problem.”
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