Fraser Island photo shows heartbreaking impact of humans on local dingoes

A shocking photo of a dingo lying dead atop tire tracks on a beach shows the heartbreaking impact of tourism on Fraser Island.

The Queensland Tourist Board shared a photo of the animal on an island beach, also known by its native title of K’gari, surrounded by tire tracks in the sand with a sign reading 40 km/h to the right.

Rangers don’t know who killed the animal and are calling for public support to track down the culprit.

Ranger Dan Novak said in a statement that drivers and tourists on the island should be aware of dingoes, known locally as wongari, and that the recovery of the animal’s body is distressing to the country’s Butchulla Traditional Owners .

“K’gari is the place of the wongari, so we need to give them space, and rangers have put up new signage to remind motorists to be dingo-aware,” he said.

It is the 17th known dingo to have been killed by a car on the island since 2000.

A World Heritage Site, Fraser Island is the world’s largest sand island and home to the purest dingo population in Australia, with an estimated 200 animals on the island.

Queensland Parks and Wildlife rangers have long warned visitors not to feed or handle them, to walk in groups and to supervise children at all times.

While dingoes are found all over Australia, their mainland population is monitored to protect sheep farms.

The dingoes on Fraser Island have become too familiar with humans, park rangers say

However, K’gari is one of the few complete ecosystems in Australia where dingoes are protected.

Councilor George Seymour, the mayor of Fraser Coast, revealed to Daily Mail Australia last year that the local dingoes have lost their fear of humans due to being hand-fed by visitors to the island.

“We can’t have a seizure every month and not expect a child to die,” Seymour said.

“It’s like playing Russian Roulette.”

Dingo attacks had mainly occurred on the eastern side of the island from north to south

Attacks on Fraser Island over the past 20 years have confirmed the animal’s tendency to attack small children, especially when separated from adults.

Reactions on social media vary wildly between those who believe humans should be banned from Fraser Island entirely, and those who believe the dingoes should be culled or removed.

“Stop tourists from going to the island, they aren’t listening,” wrote a commenter on the Save Fraser Island Dingoes Facebook page.

“What do they expect, these animals are starving on an island with no food – remove them from the island,” another wrote.

If anyone has any information about the dingo killed on K’gari, they are urged to contact the Department of Environment and Science on (07) 4127 9150.