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The premier has asked Queenslanders not to \u201csecond guess\u201d the state\u2019s snap decision to euthanise a pack of dingoes on K\u2019gari linked to the death of 19-year-old Piper James.<\/p>\n
James\u2019 body was found surrounded by 10 dingoes on 75 Mile Beach on January 19<\/a>, with a preliminary autopsy report revealing she had water in her lungs and had been bitten by the animals before and after she died<\/a>.<\/p>\n On Tuesday, Premier David Crisafulli defended the Department of Environment and Tourism\u2019s decision to euthanise the entire pack.<\/p>\n \u201cThey made a call in the interest of safety on a long weekend to go and deal with that specific pack \u2026 I\u2019m happy to hear other views, but I genuinely believe they made the right call,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cThey acted swiftly on it, and I don\u2019t think they can be criticised for that.\u201d<\/p>\n Crisafulli said the state had not sanctioned a \u201cblanket\u201d cull, but targeted the single pack, which the department said rangers had continued monitoring in the past week.<\/p>\n On Sunday, the department said those rangers had observed more aggressive behaviour, and \u2013 factoring in the autopsy findings \u2013 deemed the 10 animals an \u201cunacceptable public safety risk\u201d.<\/p>\n Island residents and K\u2019gari\u2019s traditional owners, the Indigenous Butchulla people \u2013 who refer to the animals as wongari and hold them as sacred \u2013 said they had not been consulted beforehand.<\/p>\n Cheryl Bryant, from Save Fraser Island Dingoes, said the state government had favoured tourism over the environment on the heritage-protected sand island.<\/p>\n International animal advocacy group Humane World For Animals condemned the killing of the pack, saying it added to a long history of persecution against K\u2019gari\u2019s dingo population.<\/p>\n But Crisafulli said the department had little choice on the timing of the cull because the coroner\u2019s report was released on a Friday evening ahead of a long weekend, when tourist numbers were likely to surge.<\/p>\n \u201cImagine what would happen if they had observed that, hadn\u2019t acted, and then there was a [second] tragedy,\u201d Crisafulli said.<\/p>\n He said the state would continue assessments of the dingo population on the 165,000-hectare island, and said Environment Minister Andrew Powell had \u201cput on his agenda\u201d a review of the state\u2019s dingo conservation and risk management strategy.<\/p>\n In 2012, Powell, as environment minister, commissioned an independent report into the state\u2019s strategy on K\u2019gari to improve human safety and dingo welfare.<\/p>\n Related Article The report found further awareness was \u201crequired to improve understanding about wild dingo behaviour and how human interactions \u2014 however mild or even unintended \u2014 can modify this behaviour\u201d and recommended greater investment in communication and education programs, and risk interventions.<\/p>\n A review of the strategy, published in 2020, noted ongoing issues between humans and dingoes, but found \u201cmanaging people remains the greatest challenge\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cThe major challenge is getting people to understand the issues, risks and consequences of their actions, gaining an understanding and appreciation of the cultural value of wongari and demonstrating safe behaviour,\u201d the report stated.<\/p>\n Start the day with a summary of the day\u2019s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter<\/a>.<\/p>\n Save<\/p>\n You have reached your maximum number of saved items.<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/100c81f5b3fd5c5cb9542696624dc19ad9091b33673706770b806e41f881880b.jpeg\")
The premier said state wildlife rangers had been left with little choice in their decision to euthanise 10 dingoes linked to Piper James\u2019 death.Nine News<\/p>\n![\"James](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/67a65f1633e426a022c848f4075d9d8dc4757007fb249915994643abdcc579b6.jpeg\")
James (left) and her Canadian travelling companion.<\/p>\n![\"K\u2019gari](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/62bc1dfa4bd0c712e70a114542b47a0f7de41453060c6aec0a22a5d494bfa7aa.jpeg\")
K\u2019gari is home to about 200 dingoes, separated from mainland populations.Kaihla McConnell<\/p>\n![\"Dingo](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/5af07c8b71538c743add4851b766a4b2bfe287f8d917bc6af467cc9ed0fb1d7d.gif\")
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