Umbrellas advised to ward off dingoes

SYDNEY - Visitors to an Australian tourist hotspot have been advised to use umbrellas to protect themselves against dingo attacks, according to research.

Fraser Island, off the coast of Queensland, offers a "rare opportunity" to observe the native wild dogs, but the encounters can occasionally "entail dingoes acting in a threatening or aggressive manner toward people, resulting in human injury and, in one tragic case, death," according to a research paper published on Thursday in the Pacific Conservation Biology scientific journal.

Reviewing a wide range of measures to help manage wild animals, the researchers said moves to minimize harm from dingoes have included electric fencing and warning signs but "sturdy umbrellas" and "mild chemical irritant sprays" could also offer personal protection.