On 25/11, Queensland authorities announced that a pack of 10 dingoes involved in the death of a 19-year-old female tourist on K'gari island would be euthanized. Queensland Environment Minister Andrew Powell stated that the decision was difficult but in the public interest.
On 19/1, Piper James, 19, was found dead on the beach, surrounded by dingoes. An autopsy revealed physical evidence consistent with drowning and injuries consistent with dingo bites. However, these bites were determined to be "not immediately fatal".
K'gari island, located about 380 km north of Queensland's capital, Brisbane, is home to approximately 200 dingoes, a species sacred to the indigenous Butchulla people. K'gari is also a national park and is owned through native title. The Butchulla people co-manage the island in partnership with the state government.
A spokesperson for the Department of Environment reported that rangers had spent a week closely monitoring the dingoes involved in the incident and observed aggressive behavior. Meanwhile, Christine Royan, Secretary of the Butchulla Aboriginal Association, described the decision as "an extermination".
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A dingo in Australia. Photo: Asset
Six dingoes were euthanized on 24/1, but Royan stated that the "traditional owners of the island" were not consulted, nor were they even informed until 25/1. Royan added that the authorities had not respected the aboriginal community.
Dingo attacks on humans have become more frequent in recent years, but fatal incidents remain rare.
The most notable case was that of Azaria Chamberlain in August 1980. Nine-week-old Azaria Chantel Loren Chamberlain disappeared from her family's tent while her parents, Lindy and Michael, were camping with their two older sons. Her mother reported that a dingo had taken her daughter, whose body has never been found.
Initially, Lindy was accused of murdering her daughter and received a life sentence in 1982. By 1986, Azaria's jacket was found near a dingo den, and her mother was released. In 2021, after a fourth inquest, the coroner officially concluded that Azaria was attacked and taken by a dingo, consistent with the family's initial testimony.
In 2001, a dingo on K'gari island killed 9-year-old Clinton Gage, leading to a controversial culling. About 30 dingoes were euthanized despite strong opposition from conservationists.
Since then, state authorities have implemented various measures to protect people from the animals, such as installing fences and warning signs. The Butchulla people and conservationists have long attributed the attacks on the island to overtourism.
K'gari's World Heritage advisory committee warned in 2/2025 that the island's ecosystem was at risk of destruction due to "overtourism". However, Minister Powell has consistently rejected proposals to limit tourist numbers.
Dr. Bradley Smith, a senior lecturer at Central Queensland University, said the decision to euthanize was "illogical and will have devastating consequences" for the dingo population's ecosystem. According to him, dingoes are on the brink of extinction within 50-100 years.
"Each time they kill an individual, and especially an entire pack, they are removing their entire gene pool from an already limited population," he said. Smith argued that reduced genetic diversity would make the animals more susceptible to disease and inbreeding. Instead of killing them, he believes humans need to change how they behave around dingoes on the island.
Hoai Anh (According to Guardian, Ebsco)
