Report dingo and wild dog

The Myall Lakes National Park and surrounds, including the villages of Hawks Nest/Tea Gardens and Seal Rocks, are home to a wild dingo population. These dingoes have a very high level of genetic purity. The dingo was introduced to Australia about 5,000-years ago. It has been in Australia long enough to become a functional part of Australia’s biodiversity, dingoes perform a range of beneficial ecological roles and has a high cultural significance with many First Nation communities.

For many, observing dingoes is a positive experience. However, in some instances dingoes may pose a risk to people and family pets.

The risk of attack and other threatening behaviour is increased if dingoes are fed or otherwise encouraged to interact with people, for example encouraged to come in closer for a photo opportunity. Dingoes are wild animals and should always be left alone. This is particularly important for young dingoes where the temptation to feed and/or interact with them is high.

Please DO NOT feed dingoes

When dingoes become dependent on or comfortable or confident with people, the risks of actual or perceived negative interactions may increase.

We are asking locals and visitors to never feed dingoes or allow dingoes to access any food, including bait, fish or rubbish. Dingoes should not be encouraged in any way.

Due to their naturally thin bodies, some people see a dingo and think it is under-fed. This is not true. Dingoes are naturally lean and are very capable of finding their own food.

Feeding dingoes may incur a warning or a fine.

Our dingo and wild dog management procedure 

We have developed a Dingo/Wild Dog Management Procedure for Hawks Nest. The procedure will help us manage dingoes in residential areas and Council-managed spaces.

Our procedure is based on the management model at K’Gari (Fraser Island).

Council also keeps a register of dingo and wild dog community reports and has been monitoring the behaviours of specific animals.

Please note that dingoes are managed as ‘wild dogs’ in the applying legislation.

View Procedure of Dingoes in Residential Area and Council Managed Spaces in Hawks Nest(PDF, 772KB). 

What we have done

• Installed ‘Be Dingo Smart’ and ‘Do Not Feed’ signage to encourage dingo safe practices in the Tea Gardens and Hawks Nest area
• Produced and distributed a ‘Be Dingo Smart’ brochure
• Educated tourist park operators about dingo-safe behaviours and provided educational materials to tourist parks to educate visitors
• Organised dingo proof locking mechanisms for private and public bins
• Maintained a register of sightings / incidents so that dingo behaviour that pose unacceptable risks is identified and managed
• Supported a research project by NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, University of NSW and Taronga Conservation Society looking at dingo numbers, behaviour and management
• Issued penalty infringement notices to people caught feeding dingoes.

Working together

While Council is committed to keeping our community dingo-safe, Local Land Services is ultimately responsible for leading wild dog control and management across NSW.

We work together with the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, tourist park operators and the community. Council draws from the knowledge of dingo experts from the University of NSW and Taronga Conservation Society to help inform our dingo management programs and activities.

Resources

There is an information flyer and children’s activities in the side panel above. These are free resources available for anyone to download, print and use. 

Report it

Please report all sightings. To report your dingo sighting or interaction, please use the form below.

Report a dingo sighting or interaction