US EditionAustralia Announces Cull of Dingoes that Circled Canadian Woman's Body on Beach
Authorities will humanely euthanise a pack of about 10 dingoes after aggressive behavior linked to the death of Piper James, 19, on K'gari, officials said.
- On Sunday, the Department of the Environment, Tourism and Science and Innovation said Queensland government will humanely euthanise a pack of dingoes involved in Piper James' death, deeming them an unacceptable public safety risk after observing aggressive behaviour.
- Initial autopsy findings showed physical evidence consistent with drowning and injuries consistent with dingo bites, while preliminary assessments indicated pre-mortem bites were not likely to have caused immediate death.
- Police said Piper James was found on Seventy Five Mile Beach on K'Gari just after 5am, surrounded by about 10 dingoes with extensive post-mortem bite marks.
- James's family is expected to bring her remains home next week while QPWS rangers track and remove the dingoes over several weeks with no public safety risk, and patrols plus safety messaging continue.
- The decision highlights a conflict between protecting dingoes and public safety as advocates urge visitor caps amid estimates of 800,000 visitors versus the official 500,000 on K'Gari.
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By CNN en Español The dingo is one of Australia's most recognizable—and yet most misunderstood—animals. A symbol of the country's wild interior, it has been idealized as an emblem of untamed nature and, at the same time, singled out as a potential threat to people. This tension resurfaced after the death, in January 2026, of a young Canadian woman on K'gari—formerly known as Fraser Island—an incident that Australian authorities are investigating…
The Queensland government has said a pack of dingoes linked to the death of a 19-year-old woman poses an "unacceptable risk to public safety." A pack of dingoes linked to the death of Canadian tourist Piper James on Australia's K'gari Island will be destroyed, it said. Meanwhile, indigenous people are protesting a decision they say was made without consulting them.
Australia is tightening its security strategy: The measures range from dingo culling to drone surveillance – and remain controversial.
Although the autopsy is ongoing, the government considers the pack to be a risk to public safety.
Six wild dogs have already been killed, but a local organization is considering a lawsuit against the authorities.
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