The Sad story of the Fraser Island Dingoes!

In 1989 almost all of Fraser Island was declared a National Park. The Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service took over the management of Fraser Island from the Forestry. The first thing they did was kill or remove all the wild brumbies and cattle on the Island. The cruelty involved in that exercise is a story in itself. Then they closed all the tips, and stopped fishermen from leaving fish scraps on the beach for the dingoes. Dingo numbers at this time were thought to be around 300, although there has never been a scientific count. Within a year or so, the dingoes had eaten most of the natural wildlife and were starving.

The first ever recorded case of harassment of campers for food occurred in 1990. In 1994-5, after more harassment of campers, QPWS decided to kill a few dingoes. They are thought to have killed about 50. Of course, they shot the harmless and easily found animals that were being fed by residents and resort staff. Dingo clans were fractured, young dogs were left without parents to teach them, alpha males and females were killed. 47 dingo skulls later turned up at the Queensland Museum. The remaining dingoes were still starving, and the harassment of campers continued. In 1997 the QPWS produced their Fraser Island Draft Dingo Management Strategy. It was an awful document, and recommended using electric cattle prods, non-lethal poison baits to discourage them from eating human food, shooting dingoes with rubber bullets, and more killing. Giving them poison baits to make them sick had already been trialled in 1996 by QPWS. Letters sent to the RSPCA in 1997 about the cruelty involved in this baiting, still remain unanswered.

The Plan still didn’t address the real issue, how to provide food for the starving dogs. Most groups rejected it out of hand. This draft plan sat in limbo for nearly three years, and the 37 submissions to the plan were ignored. Several letters to the relevant Minister about the status of the Draft produced no response. Harassment of campers continued. In June, 2001, in the first ever confirmed dingo fatality in Australia, the tragic death of a child on Fraser Island dominated the world media.

Overriding any consultation or management processes that were under way, Queensland Premier Peter Beattie immediately ordered a dingo kill. I was in Brisbane, and tried to get a meeting with the Environment Minister, but he had locked himself in his room and wouldn’t come out. Indigenous groups and the Wilderness Society went to Court to gain an injunction to stop the kill. They failed, because they never had enough time to present a substantial case, and the Judge ordered that no more that 30 dingos be killed, (based on erroneous media reports that there were 200 resident dingoes) and the kill must stop by Saturday evening, regardless. 28 of the native dogs were shot, brutally and unnecessarily. Allegations of cruelty have been made, but the RSPCA, who have just received a $250,000 grant from the Government, have not taken any action. Fortunately, some residents moved some younger dogs out of harms way.

Because the Government had an urgency to kill as many as possible before the deadline, and to shift the blame for this fatality from themselves to the dingoes, again the easily accessible dogs were killed first. These included the many dingoes that lay around doing no harm to anyone. The Eurong group, and the clan of beautiful golden dogs, which lived around the Orchid beach servo and store, were killed. These animals lived around the servo, never worrying anyone, and were a constant source of delight to tourists and visitors to the northern part of the Island. Some of the indigenous owners of the Island sent the Premier a bill for $1500 dollars compensation per dog. They also started to build a fence around a camping area near Dilli Village, as a gesture to keep people away from the dingoes.

So then the inevitable happened again. Within a few days, other dogs moved in to take their place, and one camping area had to be closed, because they were not allowed, under the court decision, to kill any more. The figure of 200 dingoes on the Island is a guesstimate by QPWS that was cited in the three years old Draft Dingo Management Plan that was roundly criticised by most parties. Our information, based on reports from residents and visitors, and our own experiences on the Island, is that there currently may only be between 50 an 80 dingoes left on the Island, before the latest kill. There still hasn’t been an accurate scientific survey done on the dingo population.

For three days, the 16th, 17th, and 18th May 2001 I again visited Fraser Island with Sue Arnold, coordinator of Australians for Animals. During our stay I spoke to many people, tourists, residents, workers at the resorts, and campers about dingoes. Everyone I spoke to was appalled at the recent dingo cull. Many locals where afraid that the QPWS would start dropping poison baits. In spite of QPWS stating many times in the past that that they do not use 1080 in or around National Parks, in a story in the Courier Mail 22nd May, they admit that they do. While on the Island, I helped the indigenous people to feed the dingoes fish, and assisted in setting up a regular feeding program with the aboriginal people. The purpose was to attempt to keep the dingoes inland, and away from the guns of the Queensland government.

In the Fraser Is. community there was a strong feeling of disgust and anger, not only that the kill occurred, but in the cruel manner in which the dingoes were killed. A .22 rifle was used, and this is easily verified by looking at media photos of the shooting. A .22 calibre rifle is totally inappropriate for this type of killing. These rifles are used for rabbits, and should never have been used on a larger animal. According to many residents, at least 4 animals were wounded, and escaped into the bush. One later bled to death in Central Station Ck. One absolutely harmless dog lived around a resort many, many miles away from the site of the recent fatality. “Socks” would occasionally jump in the pool for a swim, then lie in the sun in front of the pub to dry out.

Socks was shot but not killed, and returned to the resort 2 days later with a bullet hole in her face. QPWS had to come back and kill her. Tourists, staff, and guests loved this harmless animal, which was brutally killed by QPWS rangers on the orders of Premier Peter Beattie. Several locals told me they believe over 40 dingoes have been killed. We were also told that some QPWS rangers are in stress because of the massacre, and are being counselled.

Many “solutions” have been tendered by many so-called experts, including tourists carrying stones to throw at the dingoes, or sticks to threaten them with. Some have suggested heavy fines for feeding dingoes, not understanding that these are not lions or tigers, they are dogs, and there are few people who will not feed a hungry dog. The bottom line is that these animals are starving, and unless they are fed with a properly structured and authorised feeding program, they will continue to be a problem and another person may die.

The Fraser Island dingoes are the last almost purebred dingoes left anywhere in the World. Their already slim genetic strength has been decimated, in an act of sheer revenge, to satisfy the bloodlust of a dictatorial Premier, who seems to have lost his marbles. Like most Australians I was saddened and sickened by the unwarranted massacre of the Fraser Island dingoes.

Currently the Government is undertaking a “risk management strategy” which is being compiled by the same people, and the same agencies, which caused the dingo problem in the first place. We have little confidence in the outcome. The Government has trotted out a few “experts” who know nothing about Fraser Island, but who sit in a city office making media statements to back up the Governments actions.

Any strategies developed are useless unless the fundamental issue is dealt with—the dogs are starving.


6 or 8 feeding stations inland away from the tourist areas, serviced with dry dog food each week or so, would solve the problem immediately. The dogs would initially argue for territory amongst themselves, but they would quickly get to know that food was available at those places if they were hungry, and if they wanted to hunt they would. Purpose-built hoppers, protected from rain, and a foot or so off the ground to prevent scavenging by bandicoots, (if there are any left) would solve the problem. Dry dog food is balanced, nutritious, and doesn’t smell, or pose health risks. The hoppers should be placed near water.

Further advantages are that the native dogs could be monitored at the sites, put to sleep with a dart gun and tagged if required. Contraceptives could be added to the food if necessary. The island doesn’t support enough wildlife now to feed even a handful of dogs. Feeding stations would also reduce the impact of the dingoes on the few remaining native animals and birds. Those dogs which liked human company, and many do, would no longer be a threat to campers when they decided to visit. Obviously the whole process must be transparent.

Enforcement of rules banning campers from feeding dogs which visit camps should continue. However, even the heaviest of fines will not stop many people from feeding starving dingoes. Most people love dogs, many have had beautiful relationships with a dog at some time in their life. There are very few people who will not feed a starving dog. Heavy fines will not stop it, but seeing an obviously well fed dog will reduce the practice. We dispute statements that dingoes are naturally skinny. They are not. Dingoes in areas of heavy road kills, or in good hunting areas, are often in very good condition. In other states where dingoes can be kept as pets under permit, and properly fed, they are magnificent animals.

Those people who argue the dingoes should be able to feed themselves from island wildlife have little idea of the paucity of island fauna. If there were enough natural food there, the dingoes would not be starving now, and they are. The Fraser Island dingo massacre has imposed a great shame on all Australians, and the Beattie government will never ever be able to live down this horrific crime against nature. Pat O’Brien