Rangers warned of aggressive dingo behaviour before a woman’s body was found at a popular tourist spot near a pack of the wild dogs.
A cause of death is yet to be determined after the 19-year-old Canadian national was discovered on a beach at Queensland’s World Heritage-listed K’gari early on Monday.
But police confirmed the teen’s body had markings that indicated she had been “interfered with” by the native animals.
Two men were driving up the beach when they spotted a pack of about 10 dingoes crowded on the shore before making the grisly discovery.
Police have refused to speculate on the cause of death, saying the woman’s body was discovered about 90 minutes after she went for an early morning swim on K’gari, formerly Fraser Island.
Fraser Coast Mayor George Seymour fears it may have been a dingo attack.
“It looks likely, doesn’t it,” he said.
“It’s just hard to imagine that she drowned and then was on the beach. If she drowned, she might have washed up on the beach days later.
“But to go swimming at 5am and be found at 6am – it does seem more likely (to be dingoes).”
Beach camping zones 4 (Guuri and Eli) and 5 (Maheno and Wahba) were temporarily closed on Tuesday, from January 20 until January 28.
“This temporary closure is required due to heightened risk of a habituated dingo pack damaging property, ripping tents, and accessing food from unsecured eskies and fridges,” a park alert states.
Warnings of “heightened dingo activity” for the immediate area were also issued on December 12 amid reports the wild dogs had been ripping tents, approaching campers and stealing food and property.
The warning remains in place on K’gari for the summer holiday period until January 31.
“Rangers are urging visitors to be dingo-safe at all times on K’gari after heightened dingo activity has been recorded at several locations along the eastern beach,” the alert states.
“It is recommended that visitors be extra vigilant in these areas and consider camping in a fenced … camping area.
“Ensure no food or strongly scented items are stored in tents and that all food and rubbish is securely stored in strong lockable containers or vehicles.”
Rangers increased island patrols on Monday following the incident.
“You cannot go over to K’gari without being bombarded with safety messaging about dingoes and about driving, and I think that’s probably saved more lives than we would know over the years,” Mr Seymour said.
“In the end, it is a wilderness. It’s preserved. It’s World Heritage-listed for the natural values, which include dingoes, and it’s why people want to go there – and there are risks with that.”
The last fatal dingo attack occurred almost 25 years ago.
In April 2001, nine-year-old Clinton Gage was fatally mauled by two dingoes while holidaying on the island.
“In that time, there have been multiple deaths from vehicle rollovers, shark attacks, drownings, so it (dingo attack) is certainly not the most dangerous thing on K’gari,” Mr Seymour said.
A post-mortem examination of the woman – who worked at a local backpackers – will be completed on Wednesday.
Dingoes roam free on K’gari and are a protected native species at the national park.
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