© Fraser Island Dingo Preservation Group, Christian Valenzuela/AAPA Fraser Island dingo. The island’s dingo population is quite low.
Dingoes which attacked a man on Fraser Island could be captured and put down.
A 25-year-old man suffered injuries to his head, legs and buttocks when he was attacked by three dingoes while on the beach at 10.30pm on Monday. The man was about 100m from the township of Happy Valley, which is fenced off from dingoes, and managed to escape and get to safety.
Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) is investigating the attack. On Wednesday it did not rule out capturing and destroying the dingoes.
Two dingoes which mauled a three-year-old girl on the island in 2011 were destroyed, although there were questions about the circumstances of the attack.
The dingo population on Fraser Island is quite low; about 200 roam in up to 30 packs.
The government's dingo management strategy, implemented in 2001, has been criticised by some experts. It has been accused of culling dingoes, although QPWS is adamant it does not cull dingoes on the island.
"The Queensland government considers public safety to be the number one priority in managing the Fraser Island dingo population," its website says.
"It is for this reason that any dingo identified as dangerous may be humanely destroyed. This is not culling. Culling is a proactive or predetermined reduction of animal numbers to try to reduce an animal population."
When Guardian Australia asked whether the dingoes would be destroyed, a spokeswoman replied "the incident is still being investigated".
Rangers have increased their patrols and are visiting campsites to talk to visitors.
There have been concerns for years that visitors feeding dingoes led to the animals becoming familiar with humans, and more likely to attack when they are hungry.
"Dingoes are wild animals and approaching them is as dangerous as approaching any predatory animal in the wild," a QPWS spokeswoman said.
"Dingo safety information and education is also available to people before and during their stay on the island."
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