Dingo attack on fisherman at tourist hotspot sparks fresh warning
The dingo was nearly fully submerged when it bit the man on the back of the leg while he was fishing at K'gari, formerly Fraser Island, in southeast Queensland, rangers said.
The man was fishing alone in the water when he was approached from behind by the dingo near Eurong at about 11.30am on Friday.
'It bit him on the back of the leg, resulting in two puncture wounds and a small superficial laceration which required basic first aid treatment,' the Department of Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation (DESI) said.
'He was wearing a fishing bag containing a fish, and rangers believe the dingo may have been attracted by the smell,' the statement said.
Rangers have also received reports of dingoes loitering around people fishing on the island 'in the hope of getting a free feed'.
They warned dingoes were known to steal fish and bait from anywhere they could scavenge, including vehicles and straight off someone's line.
Rangers reminded people fishing on the island to stay close to the water's edge when reeling in a catch and to avoid dragging it across the sand.
People fishing at K'gari should also use a protective cover on their hook when removing bait and store it out of a dingo's reach, they said.
'Dingoes are opportunistic predators and will strike when they see a chance to do so,' Ranger Dan Novak said.
'To avoid a dingo incident, it's always a good idea to have a mate stand guard, preferably holding a dingo stick.'
He reminded people fishing on the island that it was an offence to hang bait or berley bags — a tool that helps attract fish — outside vehicles, in trees or have them lying around.
Anglers came to the rescue of a boy during the previous dingo attack on the island.
The 12-year-old was bitten on the back in February while playing in shallow water before people fishing nearby ran over to scare the animal off with a stick.
It followed two dingo attacks over the Australia Day long weekend.
A woman was bitten on the leg when she tried to stop a dingo from taking her bag at Lake McKenzie.
The following day, a two-year-old was attacked in a Lake McKenzie car park.
More than 20 dingo incidents were reported on the island in 2024.
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