Dingo attack

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A dingo on K'gari in Queensland.

Dingo attacks on humans are rare in Australia, and when they do occur are generally on young children.[1][2] However, dingoes are much more of a danger to livestock, especially to sheep and young cattle.[3] The 5,614-kilometre-long (3,488 mi) Dingo Fence was constructed in Southeast Australia to protect the livestock there from attacks.[4]

Wild dogs are fairly large predators, but are much smaller than able-bodied adults and therefore not generally much of a threat to them. However, they can be a serious threat to incapacitated, isolated, outnumbered, or very small humans, especially infants and young children.[5][6][7]

Humans and dingoes generally tend to avoid each other. In some situations, however, such as on K'gari and some locations in the Northern Territory, close interaction between dingoes and humans, especially feeding dingoes, has led to dangerous habituation and attacks.[1]

Dingo attacks on livestock, however, are fairly common occurrences and a serious concern for the Australian livestock industry.[3]

Cause[]

The likelihood of wild dog attacks on humans depends to a large degree on how humans behave toward them. The more frequently these dogs are fed or scavenge human leftovers, the more likely it is that they lose all caution and sometimes react aggressively towards humans when they perceive themselves to be in conflict with the human. During a study on K'gari dingoes, the researchers reasoned that the presence of humans influences the activity of dingoes. The tourism industry on the island encouraged people to approach dingoes without caution, and such encounters were practically expected by the tourists. People lost their caution when dealing with dingoes more and more frequently, and the number of reported interactions increased.[2] The way the dingoes reacted towards humans was dependent on the way humans behaved toward them. Dingoes tended to show aggressive behaviour when humans fled, and tended to be intimidated when humans consciously or aggressively moved towards them. Humans making submissive postures seemed to cause a neutral or submissive reaction of the dingoes. That dingoes showed aggressive behaviour towards humans seemed to be similarly likely during different times of the year. However, adult dingoes might be more dangerous during the breeding season, and female dingoes especially when they raise their pups.

Even when habituation to humans seems to be the cause for attacks, it is not clear what the ultimate cause for attacks and overall threat towards humans is. It is possible that some attacks result from the "play" of young pups, especially with children. Attacks can also be caused by false reactions of humans to aggressive and dominance behaviour of dingoes. It is assumed that dingoes might have started to regard "human" food sources (garbage cans, leftovers, handouts, etc.) as part of their territory and that attacks on humans can therefore occur because the dingoes see humans as competitors and want to protect their food sources. That some dingoes might regard humans as prey was also deemed possible because humans, especially children, could be theoretically overpowered.[8][9]

Some tourists seemed confused by the high numbers of rules in some parks and in some cases have been observed to actively feed the wild animals.[8][9][10][11]

Cases[]

Pastoralists views on the possibility of dingo attacks in connection with the disappearance of three girls in Brisbane in 1933

In December 1933, when three girls went missing near Mount Coot-tha,[12] the possibility of their having been attacked by dingoes was considered. Local livestock men who live and work among dingoes all their lives, said that they had no direct knowledge of any dingo attacks on humans, but from what they knew of the animal, they reasoned that a dingo would attack a human if starving and the human is defenseless. Some had heard of human remains found scattered by dingoes. Scholarly experts couldn't comment due to contradictory evidence.[13] The three girls were found unharmed two days later. Dingoes played no part in their disappearance.[14]

The first well-documented case of a dingo attack on K'gari is from 1988. As early as 60 years before, a newspaper account reported of problems with dingoes. Between 1996 and 2001, 279 incidents with dingoes were reported, of which 39 were assessed as "major" and one as "catastrophic".[10]

Three reports of dingo attacks on humans caused special attention:

  • On 19 August 1980 a nine-week-old girl named Azaria Chamberlain was taken by one or more dingoes near Uluru.[15] Her mother was suspected and convicted of murder. Four years later she was released from prison when the jacket of the baby was found near Uluru. This incident caused much outcry for and against the dingoes. The story was adapted into a film named Evil Angels (also known as A Cry in the Dark) starring Meryl Streep.[16][17] In 2012 a coroner concluded that sufficient evidence existed to confirm a dingo attack as cause of Azaria Chamberlain's death.[18]
  • On 30 April 2001 nine-year-old Clinton Gage was attacked and killed by two dingoes near Waddy Point on K'gari. The incident and the following culling of 31 dingoes caused much outcry among the residents. There were many protests and the suggestion was made to erect fences. The incident seemed to have had only a low impact on the tourism industry, and some tourists even felt safer due to the increased presence of rangers.[9][10]
  • In November 2012, a six-month-old dingo known as Inky was killed by rangers on K'gari after continued aggressive and dangerous behaviour towards people. The dangerous behaviour included "lunging" at a family, coming out of the bushland at high speed towards volleyball players, and grabbing two tourists on separate occasions with his mouth, not breaking the skin on either occasion.[19] Rangers attempted to trap the dangerous dingo for a month before they were successful. The captured animal was then euthanised.[20] One Dingo advocacy group argued that, as a juvenile, the dingo's aggressive behaviours would be considered normal for his young age.[19] Soon after, Inky's brother Byron was killed by rangers, although his documented incidents never reached the serious Code E level that his brother's had.[21]

Attacks on humans[]

Below is a partial list of dingo attacks and alleged dingo attacks that occurred in Australia, in reverse chronological order.

Victim(s) Date Location Description
Boy, 2 17 April 2021 K'gari, Queensland A 2-year-old boy wandered away from a house at Orchid Beach while his family was asleep and was attacked, suffering wounds to his leg, arm, the base of his neck, his shoulder and also had a laceration at the base of his head.[22][7]
Boy, 8 4 February 2021 K'gari, Queensland The boy and his father were at Orchid Beach and walking past a pack of dingoes when one of the juveniles got up and started walking towards the boy, who then stumbled in the sand and fell over and the dingoes or the dingo then advanced on the boy, but were scared away by the father.[23]
Boy, 14 months old 18 April 2019 K'gari, Queensland A dingo entered a family's camper trailer under its canvas and then dragged the child out while the family was asleep. The screams of the child alerted the father, who gave chase, rescued the child and also scared off a number of other dingos. The child was airlifted to Hervey Bay Hospital with deep lacerations to the back of the neck and head, he also suffered a fractured skull.[24]
Boy, 9, and woman, 24 28 February 2019 K'gari, Queensland A 9-year-old boy was returning to his campsite from an afternoon swim with his family when they were approached by 2 dingoes and were attacked by them. He suffered serious injuries, including lacerations to his arms, legs and suffered a bite mark to his face. The same dingoes also attacked his 24-year-old mother as she tried to protect him, causing "deep injuries" to her arms and legs. Both were airlifted to Sunshine Coast University Hospital.[25]
Boy, 6 19 January 2019 K'gari, Queensland A female dingo and her 3 sub-adult offspring attacked the boy when he ran up a sand dune near the Govi Camping Ground, south of Eurong. He was airlifted to hospital and treated for puncture wounds and scratches to his legs.[26]
Debbie Rundle, 54 18 July 2018 Telfer, Western Australia While eating lunch, she was attacked by three dingos, leg severely injured, torn to the bone requiring major surgery[27]
2 unnamed females in 20s or 30s 26 October 2014 K'gari, Queensland Two Australian women bitten while jogging; one of the women was hospitalised[28]
A family, other unnamed tourists November 2012 K'gari, Queensland A six-month-old dingo was killed by rangers on K'gari after continued aggressive and dangerous behaviour towards people. The dangerous behaviour included "lunging" at a family, coming out of the bushland at high speed towards volleyball players, and grabbing two tourists on separate occasions with his mouth, not breaking the skin on either occasion.[19] Rangers attempted to trap the dangerous dingo for a month before they were successful. The captured animal was then euthanised.[20] One dingo advocacy group argued that, as a juvenile, the dingo's aggressive behaviours would be considered normal for his young age.[19] Soon after the dingo's brother was killed by rangers, although documented incidents for this dog never reached the serious Code E level his brother's had.[21]
Girl, 13 15 July 2012 Jabiru inside Kakadu National Park, Northern Territory Victorian girl woke to a dingo dragging her sleeping bag. She was sleeping on a mattress outside her family's caravan.[29]
Girl, 3 26 April 2011 K'gari, Queensland A three-year-old girl was attacked on K'gari by two dingoes. She suffered serious puncture wounds to her leg.[30][31]
Woman 21 April 2009 Stuart Highway near Devils Marbles, Northern Territory Michelle Robson, a nurse who had just left a job at Alice Springs Hospital was travelling with her partner Ihab Hassan when their car left the road and Ms Robson was injured. Mr Hassan moved Ms Robson to the shade of a tree and went to get help. While he was gone Ms Robson had to use a stick to fend off a dingo which attacked her, and was bitten on the hand in the process.[32]
Girl, 4 April 2007 K'gari, Queensland Young girl severely bitten.[33]
Clinton Gage, 9-year-old male April 2001 Near Waddy Point on K'gari, Queensland Clinton Gage was attacked and killed. The incident and the resultant culling of 31 dingoes caused a large outcry among the residents. There were many protests and the suggestion was made to erect fences.[10][9]
Girl, 3 April 1998 K'gari, Queensland Bitten and scratched by a dingo.[34]
Azaria Chamberlain, 2-month-old August 1980 Uluru, Northern Territory Notorious case which gained international attention. Azaria's mother Lindy Chamberlain was initially convicted of murdering Azaria, but was later exonerated. In 2012 the official verdict was amended to state that Azaria was killed by dingoes.
Lyall Fuller, adult male September 1942 near Woolgoolga, New South Wales Fuller believed he had shot a dingo dead, but when he walked over it "sprang to its feet and flew at him". He then clubbed it to death with his rifle, before dismembering it and using it as lobster bait. He stated that "the dingo had her pups hidden nearby and this apparently was the reason for the violence of the attack".[35]
Ted Worth, adult male September 1942 near Glen Innes, New South Wales "Savaged" by a dingo that had been caught in a rabbit trap.[36]
Gordon Philp, adult male October 1938 Boonah, Queensland Philip found a "large dingo" attacking his calf and was then pursued by the dingo into a creek. He forced it underwater until it drowned.[37]
Gilbert Hamilton, adult male September 1936 Bilambil, New South Wales Fended off the attack with a sack of bananas, then by throwing stones to scare the dingo away.[38]
Ian Pollard, 3-year-old male January 1935 Hillview, Queensland Bitten on the forehead, requiring stitches. The dingo had escaped from captivity.[39]
George Cox and two other adult men May 1928 Merewether, New South Wales Attacked by a pack of seven dingoes while returning from fishing. He fended off the attack with a stick and climbed up a tree. He was eventually found by two other men searching for him, whom the dingoes also attacked.[40]
Teenage boy December 1927 Nambour, Queensland A farmer's son searching for missing sheep was attacked by four or five dingoes. He was rescued without injury when his screams were heard.[41]
Edgar Tighe, 3-year-old male January 1916 Dangar, Queensland Found dead with "one leg bitten off either by foxes or dingoes".[42]
John Pallier, adult male September 1909 Illawarra Range, New South Wales Spent the night in a tree after being attacked by a pack of dingoes, who continued to stalk him for several days.[43]
Girl, 12 c. 1845 Cuppacumbalong Homestead, present-day ACT Found to have been killed and eaten by dingoes after running away from home. Reported by John Gale in a 1927 book about the history of Canberra,[44] and by Samuel Shumack in his autobiography published posthumously in 1967.[45]

Attacks on other animals[]

See also: Economic impact of the dingo

Dingos frequently prey on sheep, goats and cattle when they have the chance.[3] Because of this, the Dingo Fence, one of the longest structures in the world, was constructed to limit dingo migration into agricultural regions.[4] Cattle are usually quite capable of defending themselves against dog attacks and the losses for cattle owners are therefore usually low, but sheep are extremely vulnerable and their behaviour in the presence of a predator can often lead to surplus killing. Some notable dingo attacks on animals which have appeared in reliable sources:

Name, age Date Species Location, comments
Domestic dogs December 2011 dingo Marrara in the northern suburbs of Darwin, Northern Territory, two dogs taken by a dingo or dingoes in two days.[46]
young calf July 2009 dingo Kawana Forest near Caloundra, pair of young dingoes killed the calf[47]
£1000 worth of sheep 1941–8 dingo Tumbarumba, 13yo dingo "weighed 100 lb. and

measured six feet from tip to tip."[48]

at least 1000 sheep 1942 dingo Captain's Flat[49]
200+ sheep 1939 dingo Billa Billa near Goondiwindi[50]
"many sheep" 1937 Alsatian-dingo cross Oranmeir near Braidwood[51]
10 wallabies 1936 dingo Melbourne Zoo[52]
300 sheep 1933 dingo Benalla[53]
sheep, goats, cattle 1924 dingo Lake Nash district, dingoes described as being extremely numerous and troublesome[54]
600+ sheep years before 1916 dingo Between Deepwater and "Dundee River" (Dundee?)[55]

Conclusions[]

Articles published about dingo attacks blame them on habituation, especially through the intentional and unintentional feeding of dingoes.[citation needed] The more frequently these animals are fed or allowed to scavenge on waste food, the more likely they are to react aggressively towards humans when they no longer receive or find food. It is further thought[who?] that dingoes might have started to regard the food sources found (garbage cans, leftovers and handouts) as part of their territory. Attacks then occur with humans seen as competition, and dingoes simply reacting to protect their food supply.

Even when habituation to humans seems to be the general cause for attacks, it is not absolutely clear, and therefore the overall threat towards people is not known for sure. Some attacks might result from the "play" of young pups, especially with children. Attacks can also be caused by mistaken reactions of humans to aggressive and dominant behaviour of dingoes. That some dingoes might regard humans as prey is a possibility, as children or incapacitated adults could be theoretically overpowered.[8][9] Dr. Bradley Smith[who?] said that K'gari has a problem with humans and not with the dingoes, that dogs who were labelled "aggressive" were simply behaving naturally.[56]

The behaviour of humans might undermine efforts to guard against dingo attacks. Therefore, the change in human behaviour is at the centre of attention.[who?] Warning signs like "Beware of Dingoes" seem to have lost their effect on K'gari, despite the high number of such signs.[citation needed] Furthermore, some humans[which?] do not realise how adaptive and quick dingoes are. Therefore, humans do not remain attentive enough.[citation needed] They[who?] do not consider, for instance, that dingoes steal food like fruits and vegetables. In addition, some tourists seemed to be confused by the high number of rules in some parks, and they have been prompted in some cases to actively feed the wild animals.[8][11][10][9]

See also[]

  • Coyote attacks on humans
  • Dog attack
  • Wolf attacks on humans

References[]

  1. ^ a b "Australia orders urgent review after spate of dingo attacks". phys.org. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Dingoes on Fraser Island-K'gari losing their natural fear of humans, says local mayor". www.abc.net.au. 5 May 2021. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  3. ^ a b c LevyOct. 20, Max G.; 2020; Pm, 12:50 (20 October 2020). "Wacky tube men could keep dingoes away from livestock in Australia". Science | AAAS. Retrieved 25 June 2021.CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  4. ^ a b Conversation, Adrian G. Fisher, Charlotte Mills, Mike Letnic, Mitchell Lyons and Will Cornwell for the (24 February 2021). "Australia's dingo fence from space: satellite images reveal its effects on landscape". the Guardian. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  5. ^ Hiscock, Geoff (5 June 2019). "Dingo Attacks Force Policy Review in Australia". U.S. News. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  6. ^ "Boy, 4, bitten by dingo in second attack on Fraser Island in weeks". www.abc.net.au. 4 May 2021. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  7. ^ a b Press, Australian Associated (17 April 2021). "Australia dingo attack: toddler airlifted to hospital after being bitten on Fraser Island". the Guardian. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  8. ^ a b c d Lawrance, Kate; Higginbottom, Karen (2002). "Behavioural Responses of Dingoes to Tourist on Fraser Island" (PDF). Sustainable Tourism Cooperative Research Centre. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 September 2009. Retrieved 3 May 2009.
  9. ^ a b c d e f "Risk Assessment: Risk to humans posed by the dingo population on Fraser Island" (PDF). Environmental Protection Agency. May 2001. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 April 2013. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
  10. ^ a b c d e Beckmann, E.; Savage, Gillian (June 2003). "Evaluation of Dingo Education Strategy and Programs for Fraser Island and Literature review: Communicating to the public about potentially dangerous wildlife in natural settings" (PDF). Queensland Government. Retrieved 14 May 2009.[permanent dead link]
  11. ^ a b Parks and Wildlife Service. "A Management Program for the Dingo (Canis lupus dingo) in the Northern Territory of Australia, 2006–2011" (PDF). Department of Natural Resources. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 May 2013. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
  12. ^ "Three Brisbane girls missing". The Courier-Mail. 11 December 1933. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
  13. ^ "Not man-killer – Australian dingo". The Courier-Mail. 12 December 1933. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
  14. ^ "Missing Girls Found". The Sun. 11 December 1933. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
  15. ^ Günther, Janine; Mohr, Jens (2007). Das Northern Territory und weiterführende Routen (in German) (1 ed.). Gamehl: 360°. ISBN 978-3-9809763-2-9.
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  17. ^ "Little hope for baby girl taken by wild dog at Ayers Rock". The Sydney Morning Herald. 19 August 1980. Retrieved 14 May 2009.
  18. ^ "Australian coroner finds dingo took baby Azaria in 1980". The Guardian. 11 June 2012. Retrieved 12 June 2012.
  19. ^ a b c d Walker, Carlie (28 January 2013). "What led to Fraser Island dingo Inky's death". Fraser Coast Chronicle. Retrieved 2 February 2013.
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  21. ^ a b Walker, Carlie (5 February 2013). "Seven dingoes culled and another 10 have died on Fraser". Fraser Coast Chronicle. Retrieved 7 February 2013.
  22. ^ "New details emerge after wandering toddler is savagely mauled by dingo". 7NEWS.com.au. 17 April 2021. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  23. ^ Garcia, Jocelyn (4 February 2021). "Dingo attacks boy on Fraser Island in Queensland". Brisbane Times. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  24. ^ "Dad fights off dingoes that took toddler from camper trailer on Fraser Island off Queensland coast". ABC Online. Retrieved 19 April 2019.
  25. ^ "Dingo attack on Fraser Island sees boy and woman airlifted to hospital". ABC Online. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  26. ^ "Boy bitten by dingoes was 'in wrong place at wrong time'". Nine News. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  27. ^ "FIFO worker Debbie Rundle opens up about violent dingo attack at Telfer minesite". The West Australian. Retrieved 24 July 2018.
  28. ^ "Dingoes attack two women on Fraser Island off south-east Queensland – ABC News".
  29. ^ Crawford, Sarah. "Dogs shot after teen's close encounter". Herald Sun. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
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  31. ^ Cartwright, Darren (26 April 2011). "Dingo attack on girl could have been worse". Brisbane Times. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
  32. ^ Dillon, Meagan (20 June 2013). "Crash survivor attacked by dingo". NT News. Retrieved 20 June 2013.
  33. ^ "Residents blamed for dingo attack". 2007, PM (ABC Radio), Australian Broadcasting Corporation
  34. ^ Jane Duckworth (2009). Not Every Dog Has His Day: The Treatment of Dogs in Australia. ISBN 9780646514376.
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  36. ^ "Fierce Dingo". Mudgee Guardian and North-Western Representative. 7 September 1942.
  37. ^ "Death struggle with dingo in creek". The Telegraph. Brisbane. 17 October 1938.
  38. ^ "Dingo Attacks Banana-Grower". The Argus. Melbourne. 7 September 1936.
  39. ^ "Dingo attacks child". The Sydney Morning Herald. 21 January 1935.
  40. ^ "Dingoes Attack Men". Barrier Miner. Broken Hill. 29 May 1928.
  41. ^ "Attacked by Dingoes". Nepean Times. 17 December 1927.
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  56. ^ Walker, Carlie (5 January 2013). "Island has a problem with people, not dingoes: researcher". Fraser Coast Chronicle. Retrieved 2 February 2013.
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