Queensland to Cull Dingoes Involved in Teen’s Fatal Attack on K’gari

Queensland government officials have announced that the pack of dingoes involved in the death of 19-year-old Piper James on K’gari Island, Australia, will be euthanized.

The teenager, from Campbell River, B.C., sustained bites from the dingoes both before and after her death, according to preliminary autopsy results, which also indicated evidence consistent with drowning.

On Saturday, Queensland’s Ministry of Environment and Tourism said the pack of dingoes that was circling James’s body when it was discovered on January 19 had been closely monitored by rangers, who observed signs of aggressive behavior.

"Following the initial autopsy findings, this pack’s involvement in the incident, and observations since, this pack has been deemed an unacceptable public safety risk," the ministry said, adding that the dingoes would be "humanely euthanized."

In a social media post on Saturday, James’s father, Todd James, said he had been informed of the planned cull by the Australian police.

"Simply sad, heart-wrenching information," he wrote, noting that the final autopsy report has not yet been issued.

Police said Piper James had set out for an early-morning swim on a beach on K’gari, an island off Australia’s east coast. Her body was later found surrounded by a pack of 10 wild dingoes, a species of wild dog native to the area.

Initial autopsy results indicated that dingo bites were likely not the immediate cause of James’s death, though “pre-mortem” bites were present. A statement from the Coroners Court of Queensland said:

"The autopsy has found physical evidence consistent with drowning and injuries consistent with dingo bites. Pre-mortem dingo bite marks are not likely to have caused immediate death. There are extensive post-mortem dingo bite marks."

Queensland Environment and Tourism Minister Andrew Powell said on Saturday that, while euthanizing the animals was a difficult decision, it was the “right call.”

“This tragedy has deeply affected Queenslanders and touched the hearts of people around the world,” Powell added.

On Sunday, the Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported that six members of the dingo pack had already been culled.

On Friday, Todd James said a “smoke ceremony” would be held for his daughter in Australia, which the family hopes to attend. They are also expected to bring her remains home next week. A GoFundMe campaign to support the ceremony had raised over $20,000 by Sunday morning.

James had been traveling around Australia since October with a friend from Campbell River and had secured a job on K’gari, a World Heritage-listed island renowned for backpackers and tourists.

K’gari, the world’s largest sand island, is known for its dingo population, and the Queensland government has long warned visitors to exercise caution and be "dingo safe."

Since James’s death, authorities have closed two beach camping sites until the end of February and increased ranger patrols across the island.