The Queensland government has announced that a pack of dingoes linked to the death of Canadian tourist Piper James on K'gari island will be destroyed. Environment Minister Andrew Powell stated on Sunday that the entire pack of 10 animals would be humanely euthanised, citing an 'unacceptable public safety risk'.
Piper James, 19, died on Monday, with an autopsy released on Friday revealing physical evidence consistent with drowning and injuries consistent with dingo bites, though pre-mortem bite marks were not likely to have caused immediate death. The island, home to about 200 dingoes, is co-managed by the Indigenous Butchulla people, who consider the animals sacred.
Six dingoes were destroyed on Saturday, but the Butchulla Aboriginal Corporation secretary, Christine Royan, said traditional owners were not consulted before the decision, despite the island's management plan. 'This government has no respect for First Nations people. It's a disgrace,' she said.
Central Queensland University senior lecturer Bradley Smith criticised the decision as irrational, warning it would have a 'devastating' effect on the dingo population's genetics and ecology. He argued that unless human behaviour on the island changes, such measures will not improve safety.
