A toddler ended up in hospital with a fractured skull and cuts to his head and neck after a dingo dragged him from his bed on Queensland’s Fraser Island.
The boy’s family were camping in a remote area of the Fraser Island – on Thursday night when two dingoes entered their camper van as they slept.
One of the dingoes bit the toddler’s neck and began dragging him away into the bushes.
The parents awoke with the toddler crying and heard the crying getting further away from the campervan,
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Du Toit – A medic, said.
The boy’s father ran outside and fought of the dingoes, rescuing his son from one of the animal’s jaws.
Paramedics treated the boy on the Island, before he was flown to Hervey Bay hospital about 3am on Friday.
He was also diagnosed with a fractured skull and was later transferred to Queensland’s children’s hospital in Brisbane.
He remained there in a stable condition.
The environment department commandeered in extra rangers to investigate the attack and to patrol the island.
Principal ranger Daniel Clifton said dingo specialists were also attempting to identify the animals.
“We’re out there briefing campers … making sure they’re aware of the incident,” he told reporters.
Clifton said when dingoes interacted closely with people and had access to food, their behavior changed.
“That does result in increased aggression and dingo activity,” he said.
He did not rule out having the responsible animals killed if they could be identified.
“[The decision] is taken with all the information gathered together, and in consultation with the Butchulla traditional owners,” he said.
Clifton said although dingo attacks on Fraser Island were uncommon, people should remain aware.
“Don’t approach dingoes, don’t feed dingoes, keep your children really close, especially if you’re not in a fenced area,” he said.
It was the third dingo attack on Fraser Island in 2019.
In February, a nine-year-old boy and his mother were admitted to hospital after a dingo pack chased them down and mauled them.
The previous month a six-year-old boy was bitten on the legs while camping with his family in the same area as the toddler who was attacked on Friday.
Please be dingo safe.Always accompany smaller children. Stay in groups. Never venture on beaches alone, especially at night.
Try to stay in dingo safe areas, especially if you have little children in your party.
Dirk
Article with compliments of The Guardian Website.