Queensland authorities have killed six dingoes linked to the death of Canadian tourist Piper James on K’gari Island, a move criticized by dingo experts and traditional owners who say it could push the island’s dingo population towards extinction. The decision comes as the Queensland coroner investigates the cause of James’s death.
Dingo Cull Sparks Controversy
The Queensland government revealed on Sunday that six dingoes from the pack seen around James’s body had been killed. The action has angered K’gari’s traditional owners, who stated they were not consulted prior to the cull.
Angela James, Piper’s mother, told the ABC on Saturday that killing the dingoes “is the last thing Piper would want.” She added, “She wouldn’t want anything done to [the dingoes]; they were there first. She knew that.”
Piper’s father, Todd James, told AAP on Monday that while he didn’t believe Piper would have supported killing the animals due to a “mistake that she made to put herself in that vulnerable position,” he acknowledged that “for the safety of the island … maybe that pack needed to be euthanised, but not because of Piper, but because of the way they’ve been behaving.”
Autopsy Findings and Dingo Behavior
A preliminary autopsy assessment found physical evidence consistent with drowning and injuries consistent with dingo bites, according to a court spokesperson. There were “pre-mortem dingo bite marks” that were not likely to have caused her immediate death, as well as “extensive” postmortem bite marks.
James had gone out early and alone for a swim on January 19. Her body was found by passersby surrounded by a dingo pack near the Maheno shipwreck.
The tragedy follows a history of incidents involving dingoes and tourists on the World Heritage-listed island, with the last death occurring in 2001 when nine-year-old Clinton Gage was killed by two dingoes, resulting in the culling of 32 dingoes.
Concerns Over Genetic Diversity
Dr. Kylie Cairns, a dingo genetics expert at the University of New South Wales, expressed her “disheartened, disappointed and frustrated” reaction to the government’s decision. She stated, “I feel like the scientific evidence on this population [of dingoes] is not being used in the decision making.”
Cairns explained that K’gari’s dingo population, likely present for thousands of years, has low genetic diversity and high levels of inbreeding. Removing 10 dingoes from a population of only 70 to 200 is “quite significant” and could push the population into an “extinction vortex.”
She added that the dingoes’ limited genetic diversity makes them susceptible to disease, and further reductions could lead to pups being born with disfigurements and mothers experiencing stillbirths.
Cairns also noted that killing a pack could lead to increased movement and territorial disputes among other dingo family groups.
Over-Tourism and Management Concerns
Advisers have previously expressed concern that K’gari – formerly known as Fraser Island – is being damaged by over-tourism. The Crisafulli government has ruled out capping visitor numbers.
Dr. Bradley Smith, an expert on dingo-human interactions at Central Queensland University, called the cull a “kneejerk reaction” and “dumb management,” arguing it addresses symptoms rather than the underlying problem of human behavior.
The Queensland government maintains that rangers observed the dingo pack exhibiting further “aggressive behaviour” since the tragedy, and the decision to kill them was “informed and in the public interest.”
Smith explained that male dingoes on the island are currently experiencing elevated testosterone levels due to breeding season, leading to increased aggression, a behavior that is cyclical and temporary.
Queensland environment minister Andrew Powell, who also serves as tourism minister, stated he supports the advice from park rangers that the cull was “appropriate for public safety.”