An investigation is underway into a Sunshine Coast man allegedly catching and holding a dingo pup on K’gari (Fraser Island).
The alleged interaction with the young dingo, known as wongari in the Indigenous language, could attract a $2205 on-the-spot fine, with a maximum penalty of $11,028.
The Department of Environment and Science (DES) issued a reminder to visitors that it’s unlawful to deliberately interact with wongari on K’gari.
“This includes enticing them for selfies or close-up photographs,” the department warned in a statement.
“It is also unlawful to deliberately or inadvertently feed wongari.”
Interacting with or feeding wongari can lead them to becoming habituated to people.
This can cause problems for campers and visitors to the island as the animals approach humans for food, placing people and other dingoes in danger.
Earlier this year rangers launched a safety blitz, installing dingo deterrent fences and undertaking patrols and more community education.
The safety ramp-up followed a spate of increased dingo aggression which culminated in an eight-year-old boy being bitten on the legs by two of the animals on February 4.
Anyone with information on the latest incident is asked to contact the department on 1300 130 372.
