A five-year-old boy has been hospitalized in Queensland, Australia, after being attacked by a dingo at a campsite. The boy was bitten in several places, but his condition is stable. Australian media report this.
It’s unclear why the dingo attacked the five-year-old boy at the Ocean Lake campground on Sunday afternoon. According to the rangers present, the boy had not challenged the animal. Yet the animal bit him on his head, arms, and buttocks. “The child suffered several bite wounds before his father got the dingo off him,” the local emergency services said. However, they added that the boy’s condition is stable and well.
An investigation is being launched into what may have happened. According to the mayor of Fraser Coast, where the campsite is located, it was a “terrible incident” for the family. “You see a dingo attack about once a year,” says George Seymour. “And worryingly, it usually happens to a child under 6 or 7 years old. So it is essential for visitors to the campsite and the region to keep a close eye on their children.”
According to the local police, the growing population of dingoes is the reason that the risk of attacks is increasing. Measures are therefore being taken. Last week, for example, a 7-kilometer-long fence was placed around a nature reserve to prevent dingoes from approaching people. It was placed in Orchid Beach, about 10 kilometres from where the five-year-old boy was attacked. The city council recently described the situation with the animals as “extremely worrying” and promises improvement.