Sarah Pete, 23, was forced to surf during the attack by three or four Indigenous Australian Terriers in Kegari, Queensland. One witness said she was lucky to be spared.
by Daniel Baines, newspaper reporter
Thursday, July 20, 2023 06:22, United Kingdom
The leader of a pack of dingoes petting a jogger has been washed up on a beach in Australia.
Wildlife authorities said hunting rangers caught and humanely killed the animal – which was previously equipped with a tracking device – on Wednesday.
It comes after Sarah Peet, 23, was attacked by three or four people Australian Local dogs on Monday as they go jogging in Kagari, the world’s largest sandy island formerly known as Queensland’s Fraser Island.
The authorities have recently stepped up patrols in the area following a series of attacks on humans.
Witnesses said that during the process of crushing the herd Peet was forced to surf, in a hunting strategy used by the animals against large prey such as kangaroos.
Tourists Shane and Sarah Moffat were driving along the beach in an SUV when they saw her being attacked and jumped in to help.
Mr Moffat told 9News that he saw two dingoes “hanging by her side”.
“She was walking towards me with her hand shouting ‘Help me, help me,’” Moffat said. “I could see the fear in her face, because she wasn’t feeling well.”
Moffat said he managed to force himself between Peet and the leader of the pack, before punching the dingo to scare him off – and he believes she otherwise wouldn’t have survived.
A dingo bites a sunbathing tourist in Queensland
‘last resort’
The runner, who is from Brisbane, suffered severe bite marks and was helicoptered to hospital in stable condition.
Officials have not provided any further update on her condition since then, citing patient confidentiality.
The flock leader was one of three dingoes on the island fitted with tracking collars due to their extremely dangerous behavior, and the second dingo killed in its final weeks for biting a human.
Another animal was culled in June after two separate attacks on a seven-year-old boy and a 42-year-old French woman.
“Euthanizing high-risk dingoes is always a last resort and the difficult decision made by Queensland Parks and Wildlife was supported by the island’s traditional owners, the Pochola people,” officials said in a statement.
Authorities blame the growing fear of dingoes on the island on tourists who ignore the rules by feeding them or encouraging them to approach for photos.
Visitors to World Heritage-listed Great Sandy National Park have been warned not to run or jog outside of fenced areas due to the dangers posed by the animals, which are a protected species.
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