Tourists to blame for "super" dingoes in boy's killing
SYDNEY, May 1 (AFP) -
Dingoes which killed a nine-year-old boy on a remote Australian island were part of what a wildlife expert on Tuesday called a "super" pack of wild dogs.
Wildlife Preservation Society president Jan Oliver said constant feeding by tourists on Fraser Island off the Queensland coast had created packs of strong male dogs which normally would perish on being banished by dominant females in the wild.
"Because of the conditions on Fraser they have become super packs," she said.
"The human influence on Fraser Island's dingoes has created a very different environment and different breeding pattern for dingoes so that we now get bigger packs.
"More of the younger males are surviving and the alpha female which is the dominant dog is now less in control and more of the younger males and females are living because of extra food supply.
"Before, some of those young pups would've been killed by their mothers to control the pack size but more younger males are hanging around."
Twenty people have been attacked in the past six years on Fraser Island.
The father of the nine-year-old boy killed by dingoes was forced to save his other son from attack, it was revealed.
Ross Gage stumbled across the body of nine-year-old Clinton after his son's friend ran for help when the two boys were attacked by a pair of wild dogs on the beach.
Gage ran to try to rescue his son, followed by his seven-year-old son Dylan.
Gage's father, John Gage, said Dylan was then attacked while Gage stood over his other's son mauled body.
Copyright © The Age Company Ltd 2001.
Well, that's enough of that. We want Dingo Day to be a cheerful event! Have you hugged a dingo today?