‘Human problem’: Why video capturing K’gari dingoes tearing into tent has sparked renewed safety calls
Shocking new footage has reignited warnings for campers in K’gari after a pack of dingoes were filmed tearing apart a derelict tent in search of food.
The video, shot by filmmaker Harry Vincent for his upcoming documentary On The Fence, shows dingoes scavenging for litter at a campsite on K’gari (formerly Fraser Island) after wandering away from nearby humans.
There were approximately 8-10 dingoes in the pack, including an adult pair and their cubs.
While the footage gained traction on social media, it also reignited concerns about a growing problem with tourist behavior on the heritage-listed sand island that authorities have been warning about for years.
It also tracks incidents ranging from visitors feeding wild native dogs to outright attacks on young children holidaying with their families.
Mr Vincent, who has been filming dingoes in Australia for more than four years, said one example of this alarming behavior occurred just after he set up a drone to document the herd from a safe distance along the beach.
He said a group of people began “leaning in” to the height of the dingoes, holding phones closer to their faces.
“In all my years of shooting dingoes I’ve never seen anything like this,” Mr Vincent told NewsWire.
“Anywhere else in Australia dingoes would be too cautious and shy to be this close to a human.
“At that moment it became clear that this pack had clearly lost its fear of humans.”
When the herd realized they couldn’t get any food from the humans, they moved on and found a completely abandoned campsite.
The dingoes immediately began scavenging, sniffing every surface in search of food.
“It was clear that this was not the first time they had been to a campsite like this,” Mr Vincent said.
“They almost immediately found food left unattended inside one of the locks and, being opportunistic animals, they took full advantage of it.
“The alpha female or male began using her nose to open items and take out a large shopping bag full of food. As the young cubs watched, they were learning this behavior from their parents.”
“They eventually ripped open the loot completely and, one by one, began moving in to continue foraging.”
He said the dingoes managed to remove the entire shopping bag with its contents, including blueberries, eggs, bacon, nectarines, bread and biscuits.
Authorities say such incidents underscore the importance of ensuring food security in the dingo region.
Senior Queensland ranger Dr. Linda Behrendorff said this behavior is a textbook example of why food safety is critical.
“Dingos are opportunistic in nature and will tear open tents, chew open old ones and knock over bins before tearing open bin bags,” Dr Behrendorff said.
“It is common for wildlife to scavenge around campsites and the problem of leaving food or litter in places where dingoes or other wildlife can pick it up makes them less afraid of humans.
“Dingos do not distinguish between food and garbage and may begin to approach humans for food, putting both dingoes and humans at risk.”
Dr Behrendorff emphasized that even fenced areas are unsafe if food or rubbish is left accessible.
“The tent or outhouse is not a safe place and the dingoes have also taken people’s belongings such as clothes, toiletries or shoes that smell of food,” he said.
Fishermen are asked to dispose of bait responsibly and bury the bait at a depth of at least 50cm.
Mr Vincent said human behavior, not hunger, was behind incidents such as the K’gari raid.
“It is often thought that dingoes starve to death in K’gari and that is the only way they can find food, but that is not the case at all,” he said.
“There is also a common misconception that brumbies are the main food source for dingoes in K’gari. In the highlands where brumbies still occur, dingoes do not prey on them, making them highly unlikely to form a significant part of the K’gari dingo diet.”
He added that food availability was abundant for K’gari’s dingo population.
“They feed on fish, opossums, birds, insects, lizards, macropods and vegetation, as well as anything that washes up on shore,” he said.
He said dingoes are highly intelligent, adaptable animals and, like most wildlife, will naturally use the lowest risk, highest reward option, meaning it is much easier to access unattended human food than expending energy hunting and killing natural prey.
“This has never been a dingo problem; it’s a people problem.”
Mr Vincent also emphasized that K’gari dingoes are naturally wary and avoid humans when not conditioned to human food. “In the countless hours I have observed them, I have never had a single aggressive, threatening or confrontational interaction with a dingo. Preventing incidents like this ultimately depends on human behavior.”
For tens of thousands of years, the Butchulla people lived in balance alongside K’gari’s dingoes, known as wongari.
Today, with around half a million visitors each year, rangers and traditional owners say responsible behavior is essential.
It is an offense to feed dingoes, deliberately or accidentally; Penalties range from $464 for leaving food accessible to $2580 for deliberately feeding a dingo. Fines imposed by the court can reach up to $26,614.
We have seen a number of serious dingo encounters in K’gari in recent years, including those bitten by children on campsites and beaches, and adults chased or injured while running.
In 2019, two dingoes dragged a 14-month-old boy from a camper trailer, leaving him with multiple puncture wounds.
Dr Behrendorff said simple steps such as locking food in vehicles, using bins correctly and never leaving rubbish unattended remained the most effective way to reduce risk and promote safe co-existence.
Mr Vincent echoed this message, stating that the vast majority of people who visit K’gari do not know how to behave when in dingo territory and underestimate the impact their actions can have.
“As K’gari is the only place in Australia where dingoes are truly protected, dingoes are still being persecuted for behavior that humans inadvertently encourage,” Mr Vincent said.
“When people do the right thing, everyone benefits: Visitors arrive home safely, and dingoes can survive with minimal human intervention, as wild animals should, in a place that should be safe.”
