Tourist slammed for 'reckless' act at popular Aussie camping spot

Footage of a man intentionally touching an electric dingo grid on K’gari has been condemned by authorities for endangering himself and wildlife on the Queensland sand island popular among tourists.

Despite warning signs being present at the site, a short video shared on Monday shows a male being egged on by others to touch the 12-volt electrical grid, designed to keep dingoes away.

"Go one more," a voice says in the background, just moments after the man was seen lying in the sand following his first electrocution.

A spokesperson from Queensland's Department of Environment, Science and Innovation (DESI) has condemned the actions since viewing the video. "This type of behaviour is reckless and can endanger the life of the person and damage infrastructure meant to keep people safe from dingoes," they told Yahoo.

What is a 'dingo grid'?

The grated infrastructure is one of 16 "dingo-deterrent grids" on K'gari installed in "high-risk" areas to prevent the animals from trying to "scavenge around townships".

Similar to cattle grids, they are designed only for cars to go over and are a more convenient option than gates. Pedestrian gates are usually located next to it for those walking.

While the grid is 12 volts, which is considered low voltage and would often cause little more than an uncomfortable jolt, there is still a risk of injury for humans touching it depending on circumstances, including whether a person's skin was wet and their overall health.

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Many 'didn't know' the grids were electric

While the DESI website has information about these grids on K'gari, after seeing the footage many visitors were shocked to learn they were electrified.

"Didn't know they were electrified," one said. "I'm glad I have seen this because I'd not have read the sign and ended up walking over one intoxicated," another added.

Others claimed to have seen tourists "zapped" by the grids after not reading the signs. "We were staying at Eurong last year and a tourist didn’t read the signs and we got to see him kick himself in the ass as he went to walk over the grid," one said.

"P**sed myself laughing one day when I was leaving Eurong and this tourist got zapped trying to walk over the grid instead of taking the gate," commented another.

Why were dingo-deterrent grids installed?

There have been several reports of dingo attacks in recent years and tourists provoking dangerous reactions from the mammals. This has led to protections being implemented for the sake of the dingoes and the tourists visiting — including these grids around certain camping areas, townships and resorts.

"A high proportion of threatening and/or high-risk dingo interactions were occurring in and around these areas," DESI states.

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