UPDATED: Rangers are investigating a wongari (dingo) incident on K’gari that left a 24-year-old woman with serious injuries to her legs and arms.
It’s believed the woman was jogging near Orchid Beach about 9am this morning when she was surrounded by four wongari and chased into the ocean.
Three wongari attacked the woman in the ocean. Two men in a four-wheel-drive utility noticed the incident and rushed into the ocean to assist the woman.
They placed the woman into the back of the utility and headed to Orchid Beach fenced area.
At Orchid Beach, first aid was applied to the woman’s injuries. One of the men received an injury to his hand while providing assistance to the woman.
The woman has been flown from the island to Hervey Bay Hospital.
The Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service extended its sympathies to the woman and her family and friends, and wished her a speedy recovery.
QPWS rangers will conduct further investigations to identify the wongari responsible for the incident. It is understood that one of the animals involved was a collared wongari.
Future management decisions will be made once the information has been reviewed and the investigation is complete.
Rangers will continue to track the collared wongari, increase patrols around the Orchid Beach area, and provide Be Dingo-safe! messaging to campers.
People are reminded that they are responsible for their own safety, and the safety of their family on K’gari.
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EARLIER: A woman jogging along a beach has been left with injuries to her lower body after being bitten by a pack of dingoes in Queensland.
She was flown to Hervey Bay Hospital in a stable condition with wounds to her limbs and torso after suffering multiple bite wounds about 9am on Monday at K’gari, the Queensland Ambulance Service said.
Four dingoes attacked the woman while she was jogging near the Orchid Beach area in the island’s northeast, according to media reports, and she ran into the water in a bid to escape.
Queensland’s Department of Environment confirmed the woman was chased into the ocean by four wongari (dingoes).
“She is receiving first aid for her injuries,” a spokesman said on Monday.
“The full details of the incident are not yet known and the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service will conduct an investigation.
“Residents and visitors to the island are advised to be dingo-safe at all times.”
It’s the latest in a number of incidents that have prompted safety warnings for visitors to the tourist destination formerly known as Fraser Island.
They include an eight-year-old boy being attacked on a beach earlier this month and a dingo dragging an 10-year-old boy under water in June.
A dingo was euthanised last month following months of attacks, including biting a seven-year-old boy and a 42-year-old woman.
Rangers attribute the increase in attacks to more people defying restrictions and feeding the animals.
“This is not normal dingo behaviour,” ranger Danielle Mansfield said after recent attacks.
“We’re seeing an increase in habituated animals, unfortunately from people inadvertently or deliberately feeding animals.
“This creates animals who are not wary of people and they are brazenly going up to adults and children and having inappropriate interactions with them.”
Rangers continue to remind visitors to remain vigilant, especially when supervising children.
“There are too many instances where children are not being appropriately supervised – on K’gari, this means children and teenagers must be within arm’s reach of an adult at all times.”
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