A little boy who was attacked by a dingo on K'gari (Fraser Island) is doing "amazing" after the ordeal, his mother says.
The five-year-old was set upon yesterday afternoon near the remote Ocean Lake camping area, on the northern end of the World Heritage site.
He was playing on the beach with his parents nearby, when the dingo lunged and began biting him.
He was bitten on the arm, buttocks and head before his father chased the dog away.
A rescue helicopter was called and the boy, escorted by his mother, was flown to the Hervey Bay airport.
He was then taken by ambulance to the Hervey Bay Hospital in a stable condition.
The Wide Bay Hospital and Health Service said the family had requested privacy, but the boy’s mother said "he's been amazing" and was doing well.
Dingo cull not the answer
Ranger in charge of Natural Resource Management Linda Behrendorff said the attack happened in an unfenced area of the island.
"Unfortunately these children were playing in the sand and one of them got up and walked away," she said.
"They were within close proximity to their parents and the child was ambushed by a single dingo.
"These parents were keeping an eye on these children. It's just that if you're camping in an unfenced area, be aware that it is a remote area and there are wild dingoes around.
"In this case, it was an unfortunate chain of events."
Ms Behrendorff said there were no plans to euthanase or relocate the dingo.
"At this stage, we've got extra rangers in the area and we're doing more 'be dingo safe' education," she said.
Fraser Coast Mayor George Seymour said it was a "terrifying ordeal" for the boy, his family and everyone who saw it.
Mr Seymour said children in particular were at greater risk from attacks.
He said in the past 10 years, half of the attacks had been on children aged eight or younger and it had been about 21 years since a fatality.
"This could have easily been fatal, this is a five-year-old boy," he said.
Mr Seymour said dingo-proof fences had been built around the island's townships and there were penalties for feeding the dogs.
"K'gari is a wilderness and people need to respect that and steer clear of dingoes," he said.
"These dingoes are an important part of the ecosystem. It has been three decades since K'gari was registered on the international heritage list, and the dingoes are an essential part of that.
"We shouldn't be culling the dingoes or harming them in any way.
"Ultimately it comes down to individual responsibility and recognising that it is an immense privilege to walk on this beautiful land.
"With that comes the responsibility to be careful around wildlife."
'We constantly keep a vigilant eye'
Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service is reminding visitors and residents on K’gari (Fraser Island) to keep children under constant supervision.
Camper Adrian Irving did not witness the attack but said dingoes are a common sight on the island and, after a previous close encounter in the area, keeps a keen eye on his children.
"My wife had a similar incident where, she didn't get bitten, but she was forced down into the water by a dingo," he said.
"We keep our children well and truly protected all the time and we just monitor where they are, we constantly keep a vigilant eye on where they're at.
"We come here regardless. We are not scared of the dingoes. We respect them. We respect where they are at.
"This is their home. We are visiting their home. So we've just got to remember that this is their territory, not ours."
