A two-year-old has been bitten by a dingo at a popular tourist destination – the third attack within three days.
The dingo bit the child on the leg at Lake McKenzie (Boorangaroo) at K’gari, formerly Fraser Island off the Queensland coast just before 1pm on Sunday.
The dingo encountered the child in the car park.
Onsite rangers were onsite and provided first aid before the paramedics treated the child for superficial injuries.
They were transported to Hervey Bay Hospital in a stable condition.
The attack was the second such incident of the Australia Day long weekend after a dingo bit a woman at Lake McKenzie on Saturday, an environment department spokesperson said.
The woman sustained a superficial injury when she was bitten on the leg after she tried to stop the dingo from taking her bag, the spokesperson said.
The latest incidents came as rangers urged parents keep a vigilant eye on their children after a four-year-old child was bitten by a tagged female dingo at Lake McKenzie on Thursday.
The dingo charged at two children, aged four and 12, who were swimming in shallow water in the lake, biting the four-year-old on the left shoulder and causing superficial lacerations.
The child’s mother picked them up and the father yelled and chased the dingo, but it continued to loiter near the family.
Senior ranger Dr Linda Behrendorff said dingoes were opportunistic apex predators that would strike if given the chance.
She urged visitors to the island to carry a dingo stick and keep children close.
‘Some dingoes will target children because they are seen as the weaker links of the pack,’ Dr Behrendorff said.
‘This is why it is so important to keep children within arm’s reach.’
She said ranger patrols had been increased across the long weekend, but urged people to remain vigilant.
‘People need to understand their risk when travelling to K’gari,’ Dr Behrendorff said.
‘Our message is simple: be dingo-safe.’
The Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service is investigating the incidents to determine next steps.
The attacks follow another incident at a beach near Kingfisher Bay on January 18, when a three-year-old girl was bitten on the back of the leg by a tagged dingo.
At least 21 incidents involving dingoes were reported on the island in 2024.
This article by Suzanne Siminot was first published by The Daily Mail on 26 January 2025. Lead Image: A two-year-old child has been bitten by a dingo in the latest incident on K’gari (stock image).
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