The Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) is monitoring the behaviour of wongari (dingoes) on K’gari (Fraser Island) by using high-tech camera collars.
Acting Regional Director at QPWS, Stephen Price said the use of the camera collars would help to reduce further negative interactions with people.
“We have fitted the camera collars on two wongari residing in or around the Orchid Beach residential area,” Mr Price said.
“The camera collars are lightweight and will be worn by the wongari for up to three months, releasing via a timed drop-off mechanism.”
He said the camera collars were also GPS-enabled and would better inform knowledge of the animals’ movements and interactions.
“Rangers will be able to track the wongari and download images to see where the animal has been and how it is behaving within its natural environment and around people,” Mr Price said.
“Several wongari have been loitering around Orchid Beach and it is obvious from their condition, and their lack of fear of people, that they have become habituated through being fed.”
He said feeding and attracting wongari could have serious consequences, as seen with the attack on a child at Orchid Beach recently and could result in euthanasia of the animals.
“We believe a wongari from the Orchid Beach pack is responsible for the attack, but exactly which one could not be identified with any certainty,” Mr Price said.
“We have used tracking collars on K’gari regularly since 2011 to learn more about the movements of the wongari and to continue to develop better management programs.”
