Why are dingoes biting people on K’gari (Fraser Island)?
It seems like every week we get the headlines of "person mauled by a ferocious pack of dingoes on Kgari". But what is causing this increase in encounters between tourists and dingoes and what can we do to prevent more from happening?
Lets make one thing clear from the get go - the dingoes on K'gari are not starving.
This misconception is exactly what has landed us in the situation that we are in. But how did we get here?
Every year, over half a million people visit Kgari . This tourism generates generates $116 million dollars every year. The vast majority of these tourists know very little about dingoes other than what they have been told over campfire stories or through the media and this has lead to a landslide of misinformation being spread like wildfire. The main issue concern for the dingoes on kgari is that tourists think that they look skinny and therefore they must be starving. But we know that dingoes are supposed to be increadibly lean animals. Their rib cage and hip bones should be visible. I believe that some of the people who feed the dingoes do have good intentions and think that they are doing the right thing to help the dingo, but feeding dingoes is the first step in a dangerous cycle.
When people feed dingoes, they begin to loose their fear of humans and instead see them as a source of food. They become more confident and brazen around people attempting to push boundaries that they otherwise may not cross. This confidence around people can then be passed onto pups who inherit this behaviour and the cycle continues.
But these behaviours are not just from people feeding them - it is also a result of people not disposing of their rubbish correctly. Dingoes have an incredible sense of smell. It is thousands of times better than our own. And when people leave their food or rubbish unattended or not disposed of correctly, a curious dingo will investigate.
So, how do I visit K'gari without having a dingo bite me on the bum I hear you ask? Here are my top tips to ensure you dont have a negative encounter with a dingo.
Do not under any circumstance feed a dingo. A fed dingo is a dead dingo.
Dispose of your rubbish and food correctly. Putting your rubbish and food in your car is the safest option. Do not underestimate a dingoes food drive - if you think that a dingo cant get into your locked esky, think again. They are increidbly strong and relentless animals and if they are given the chance, they will gladly put your new camping equipment to the test.
Do not run! Dingoes have a strong prey response and by running, you are setting off every sense in a dingoes brain telling them to hunt.
Dont let your children go beyond arms reach. Does the idea of keeping your kids within arms reach at all times on your tropical holiday send shivers down your spine? Well, you're in luck! Australia has over 10,860 beaches that you WONT find dingoes and I strong suggest you holiday there instead! Dingoes are opportunistic hunters and the majority of negative interactions dingoes have with people occur with children. Dont risk it.
If a dingo approaches you, try to be as boring as possible. Face the dingo, cross your arms and slowly walk backwards. Yelling at them, clapping or waving your hands will only excite them and make them more curious. The dingo will eventually loose interest in you and move on.
Listen to the rangers. The rangers on Kgari are incredibly knowledgeable and have created the rules to keep you, and more importantly, the dingoes, safe. These rules exist for a reason much more important than your holiday. The way you interact with the environment might only last as long as your holiday, but it can have far reaching impacts way further than you can imagine.
The disturbing reality is that K'gari is the only place in Australia where dingoes are genuinely protected. Yet their future is just as uncertain as dingoes on the mainland because of peoples stupidity. Just last month a man was charged for killing a dingo with a spear gun on the island. Every year dingoes are killed because of their interaction with people and this number only seems to be increasing as more and more tourists flood the island.
If we want to continue to have K'gari open to tourists, we need things to change. We need to have harsher penatlies for those who break the rules. We need to cap numbers on tourists. We need to employ more Butchulla rangers. And most importantly, we need to better educate the visitors on the island about dingo safety and their significance in Australia.