Authorities have warned tourists heading to Australia's North-Eastern, Fraser Island, that it's unusually high population of wild dogs known as dingos can pose a serious threat and should not be approached or interacted with.
In a statement on Tuesday, environment minister Leeanne Enoch reminded visitors that while they may look cute, dingos are wild animals and can pose a serious risk, especially to children.
"Summer coincides with dingo pups learning survival skills which can lead to young dingoes displaying behavior, which can be mistaken as playing, as they test their place in their pack," Enoch said.
"Occasionally this dominance-testing is directed towards people, leading to high-risk situation."
Between 100 and 200 dingos populate what is the world's largest sand island, sharing it's beaches and campgrounds with a yearly influx of several hundred thousand tourists.
While dingo attacks are rare, the island has seen a number of vicious maulings in recent years as the dogs become increasingly comfortable around humans.
If threatened by a dingo, the public are told to stand as tall as possible, remain calm and confident, and slowly move away while still facing the animal.
The species has existed in Australia for an estimated 5,000 years and are thought to have been brought by seafarers travelling south from Asia.
Local ranger Conway Burns said that dingos have been companions to the indigenous Butchalla people for thousands of years.
"Visitors need to stay a safe distance from the Wongari (dingos) and to remember that it is the animal's country that they are visiting," he said.
