A family vacationing on the Australian island of K'gari was attacked by a pair of dingoes recently. Incidents like these are not unheard of in that region, but they are reportedly becoming less rare these days. But don't just blame the dingoes: This may be the result of increased human interference with the local ecosystem.
What's happening?
K'gari, formerly known as Fraser Island, is the world's largest sand island. It's a stunningly beautiful place to visit with its sapphire waters, lush rainforests, and white sandy shores. It's also home to some rare and spectacular wildlife, including the beautiful but dangerous dingo.
Dingoes look just like adorable domesticated dogs, but they are definitely not domesticated. They are the apex predators on K'gari and will attack humans in the right setting.
Most recently, a woman was charged by a pair of dingoes on K'gari while vacationing with her family in December. The dingoes came close enough for one of them to make contact with her. Fortunately, the family was prepared for this possibility; it was intentionally traveling in a group and brought sticks to scare the dingoes off.
"We were advised by the family that the dingoes fled as soon as they saw the sticks," senior park ranger Linda Behrendorff said. "It is pleasing to see that they were carrying dingo sticks and traveling in a group."
"This was a close call, but thankfully the woman wasn't bitten or injured," Behrendorff continued.
Why are dingo attacks important?
Wild animal attacks like these are always a frightening prospect. They obviously put humans in danger, but they can also result in the death or injury of an animal that was simply following its instincts. Not only that, but the animals are the ones whose habitats are being invaded in this scenario.
K'gari welcomes around 500,000 visitors every year. It's a tremendously popular tourist destination. That's understandable, as the island is spectacularly beautiful. However, these dingo attacks should be a sign to both the tourists and the tourism industry that they may be overstepping a boundary.
It's believed that the rise in dingo attacks on K'gari can be attributed to tourist behavior. Getting too close to the creatures, feeding them, and otherwise treating them like a regular dog opens the door to danger.
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Absolutely 👏 What's being done about dingo attacks?
Authorities at K'gari have already issued warnings about dingo attacks. They recommend traveling in groups and carrying sticks to scare the creatures off. It clearly worked in this most recent instance, but there's likely a better solution.
Working to provide stronger, more biodiverse ecosystems for these creatures is one potential solution. Robin Wall Kimmerer, an Indigenous resident of New Zealand, is trying to do that by bridging traditional knowledge with modern science.
Then there's wildlife expert John Griff, who is simply using his platform to spread the word that feeding wild animals is not a good idea.
Understanding and sharing this knowledge is one of the easiest ways for you to affect the relationship between tourists and wildlife.
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