TOT SAVAGED
Boy, 2, mauled by a dingo at popular campsite in Australia
A TODDLER was horrifically mauled by a dingo at a popular campsite in Australia while holidaying with his family.
The two-year-old boy was attacked by the vicious canine at Dales Campground in Karijini National Park on Friday evening.
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He was rushed to the Top Price Hospital with serious injuries after the wild dog pounced on him at around 7pm.
Doctors said the youngster's condition was not life-threatening and he has since been discharged.
More than 100 campers were on the site in Western Australia when the dingo struck.
The animals regularly roam Dales Campground but visitors are warned to avoid feeding and interacting with them.
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The campsite, which attracts around 350,000 visitors annually, has numerous signs explaining the dangers of dingoes.
Parents are also urged to supervise children at all times at the tourist hotspot that adventurers typically use as a base to explore the national park.
Park rangers launched an urgent hunt to track down and "destroy" the dingo that attacked the toddler.
The Department of Biodiversity Conservation and Attractions said: "The safety of visitors is our number one priority.
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"Due to the aggressive behaviour of the dingo and the fact that it has remained at the campground following the incident, rangers are preparing to humanely destroy the animal as soon as a safe opportunity presents.
"Dingo attacks are rare in Western Australian national parks and the department is not aware of any similar incident in this area.
"Anyone who has a dingo encounter in a Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions managed campground or park should report details to park staff or a campground host."
Dales Campground is renowned for its stunning waterfalls, natural swimming holes and deep red gorges.
Shire of Ashburton president Kerry White said of the attack: "I am just shocked.
"We have had some dingoes go into Tom Price and the ranger took care of them and redistributed them out of town — that was a couple of years ago.
"We’ve never had anyone attacked before that I am aware of in Karijini or Tom Price."
The last dingo attack to rock the region was in 2018, when a security guard at the Pilbara Newcrest Mining site was mauled to death.
Two of the animals mauled Debbie Rundle, 54, to death while she was eating lunch in an outdoor area.
Newcrest Mining was fined more than $105,000 in wake of the fatal incident.
A six-year-old girl was savaged by a dingo that horrifically held her underwater off Australia's east coast on April 3.
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She was swimming in shallow water at Waddy Point Beach on the eastern side of the island when the animal attacked her.
The youngster was bitten on her head and suffered puncture wounds around her ear as well as minor cuts to her hands.
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