Dingo cull starts after holiday island death

Game rangers hunted down and shot dingoes today at a Australian popular tourist spot after a nine-year-old boy was mauled to death in a vicious attack by the wild dogs.

The Queensland state government ordered an immediate cull of dingoes on Fraser Island, where Clinton Gage, nine, was chased and killed by two dogs on Monday. The boy’s brother, Dylan, seven, was attacked and injured by the dogs.

The dingoes believed to have savaged the boys have already been destroyed.

State Premier Peter Beattie had said a limited cull of the island’s dingo population would begin next month after wildlife officers conducted an assessment of the risk the wild dogs pose to humans.

But Beattie told state legislators today the cull was brought forward because of the potential threat to humans.

‘‘We have a duty of care and a responsibility to protect the community,’’ he said

‘It is simply unacceptable for dingoes to be cohabitating or living anywhere in or near camps or towns,’’ he said.

Wildlife conservation groups protested the shootings, calling for a study to determine the best way to handle the problem.

‘‘The situation is tragic but we have to keep in mind that it has arisen because people are feeding the dingoes,’’ said Queensland Conservation Council coordinator Felicity Wishart.

Beattie ordered wildlife officers to crack down on people caught feeding dingoes, which some officials say led to the attack. The dogs have become increasingly fearless of humans on the island off Australia’s northeast coast.

Beattie said ‘‘no-feeding’’ laws carry a fine of more than £350 which could be increased.