Rangers on K’gari are monitoring a male dingo that bit a four-year-old girl over the weekend.

The Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) was notified of the incident, which occurred near NgKala Rocks on the east side of the island, at around 11:15am on Saturday.

The rangers were informed that a large group of eight children were fishing and that there were dingoes nearby.

The dingo approached the girl and grabbed her in the chest area, causing cuts, bruises and a stab wound.

A nearby doctor examined the child and rangers advised the family to contact Queensland Ambulance Service paramedics as a precaution.

The girl was flown out of the island and taken to hospital as a precautionary measure because her abdominal region was affected by the bite.

Rangers are investigating the incident and will continue patrolling the NgKala Rocks area and advising fishermen and campers to “Watch out for dingoes”.

Fishermen are reminded that dingoes must never be allowed to remain nearby. If dingoes approach, fishermen should send them away, especially away from children.

Visitors and residents of K’gari are reminded to remain vigilant at all times by keeping children at a distance, never walking alone and always carrying a walking stick.

Negative dingo encounters should be reported immediately to a QPWS ranger on 07 4127 9150.

Meanwhile, rangers have captured and tranquilized another dingo on K’gari in order to remove numerous grappling hooks from its mouth and paws.

The hooks had dug deep into the dingo’s mouth and when she tried to pull them out with her right foot, her leg got caught on the third hook.

The adult dingo’s right paw was then hooked next to its jaw.

She was observed in distress in the Orchid Beach area and several reports were received from visitors to K’gari on Sunday.

Ranger Dan Novak said the hook injury incident was one of the worst he had seen on the island.

“Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service would like to thank everyone who reported the incident to us,” Mr Novak said.

“Initial reports indicated that the three hooks were stuck in her mouth and she was dragging a piece of fishing line behind her.

“She could not walk properly, could not hunt or eat and was obviously in distress. Without intervention, the injuries could have been fatal.

“To make matters worse, the dingo was nursing its young, so rangers had to act quickly to remove the hooks. The dingo was tranquilized, the hooks were carefully removed and the wounds were disinfected.

“Less than 24 hours after the first report was received, the dingo was caught, treated and released back into its den.”

Winter is considered a tailor-made season on K’gari. Since July 1, more than 11,500 people have spent at least one night camping and more than 4,700 vehicle access permits have been issued to visitors.

Ranger Novak said rangers have already removed hooks and fishing lines from several dingoes in the Orchid Beach area due to the influx of fishermen.

“We believe most of the incidents involved fishing equipment being taken into camp without the fishermen removing the bait from the hooks,” he said.

“Every fisherman visiting K’gari must remove all bait from his hooks after fishing and preferably cover the exposed hooks with a protector.

“Dingoes are highly opportunistic and will search for carrion around campsites, which is why it is so important to remove bait from all hooks.

“The next dingo may not be so lucky, especially if it swallows a hook. That’s why all fishermen must follow K’gari’s five basic rules for fishing.

“In some incidents, dingoes have snatched a fisherman’s catch as he was reeling it in. All fishermen must therefore follow the ‘dingo safety rules’ and send dingoes on their way,” said Ranger Novak.