An attack on a woman by a pack of dingoes has authorities weighing how to balance visitor safety with preserving ecology and natural wilderness on Queensland's K'gari.
The 24-year-old was taken to hospital with numerous bites after being attacked by at least three dingoes while jogging on the beach on Monday.
The animals chased her into the water before two men in a four-wheel-drive rushed to her aid.
The attack is the latest of several recent concerning encounters between humans and dingoes, known as wongari.
Fraser Coast Regional Council Mayor George Seymour believes there have been more attacks in the past two years than the previous decade at the tourist spot previously known as Fraser Island.
"Something different is happening over the past two years," he told ABC radio on Tuesday, mentioning both the frequency of interactions and behaviour of the animals.
"Which is very, very concerning because it's extremely terrifying to be attacked by wildlife."
Mr Seymour said it was too early to consider limiting visitor numbers and wanted to see more research into what is behind the dingoes' behaviour.
He believed the state government was doing a good job of promoting safety.
"The state government has done everything it can, people get bored of (the) messaging - you hear it so much, about being dingo safe," he said.
"There's kilometres and kilometres of fencing and the attacks aren't happening behind the fencing."
Rangers have previously attributed a rise in attacks to increasing numbers of people defying restrictions to feed and interact with the animals, which are estimated to number between 100 to 200 on the island.
"We're seeing an increase in habituated animals, unfortunately from people inadvertently or deliberately feeding animals, ranger Danielle Mansfield said after a recent attack.
"This creates animals who are not wary of people and they are brazenly going up to adults and children and having inappropriate interactions with them."
Staying close to children, walking in groups and never feeding dingoes is among the advice given to visitors.
Rangers have also rejected calls to cull the dingo population.
Darren Blake from the Butchulla Aboriginal Corporation, which represents the traditional owners of K'gari, said it was important visitors understood that wongari were wild animals.
"They're not puppy dogs, they're wild apex predators, give them that respect," he told ABC radio on Tuesday.
"My heart goes out to the young lady, and hopefully this hits home for everybody else."
