A pack of dingoes found circling the body of a young Canadian after her death on a beach in Australia will probably be culled, government officials announced Saturday.
The family of Piper James has said the 19-year-old from Campbell River, B.C., ventured out Monday for an early-morning swim on a beach on K’gari, an island off Australia’s east coast.
Police within the state of Queensland have said her body was found not long after, surrounded and “interfered with” by a pack of about 10 dingoes, a form of wild dog.
In a web-based statement, a spokesperson from the federal government’s Ministry of Environment and Tourism said Saturday they were aware of initial autopsy findings suggesting dingo bites were likely not James’s immediate reason for death.
The statement said rangers monitoring the wild dogs this week have noticed “aggressive” behaviour.
“Following the initial autopsy findings, this pack’s involvement within the incident, and observations since, this pack has been deemed an unacceptable public safety risk,” the statement said.
“Dingoes involved in Monday’s incident will probably be humanely euthanized.”
Minister Andrew Powell said in the identical statement that while euthanizing the animals was a troublesome decision, it’s the “right call.”
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“This tragedy has deeply affected Queenslanders and touched the hearts of individuals all over the world,” he said.
A temporary social media post from Todd James, Piper’s father, says the announcement is “simply sad, heart-wrenching information.” He notes a final autopsy report has yet to be issued.
He has previously said a “smoke ceremony” for his daughter can be held in Australia, and the family hopes to attend. Also they are expected to bring home her stays next week.
A GoFundMe campaign to accomplish that had raised slightly greater than $20,000 as of late Saturday.
James had been travelling around Australia since October with a friend, also from Campbell River, and had found a job on K’gari, a world heritage site that could be a popular destination for backpackers and other tourists.
K’gari, the world’s largest sand island, is thought for its population of dingoes. The Queensland government actively warns visitors to be “dingo secure.”
Two beach camping areas have been closed until the tip of February, and ranger patrols have increased since James’s death.
There was a series of dingo attacks on K’gari, also often known as Fraser Island. Along with the 2023 incident, they include the fatal mauling of a nine-year-old in 2001.
Australia’s most notorious dingo attack — the death of two-month-old Azaria Chamberlain in central Australia in 1980 — inspired the 1988 film “A Cry within the Dark,” featuring Meryl Streep because the infant’s mother, who was wrongfully convicted of murder.
Family and friends have said James was a “brave little girl” with an infectious laugh who dreamt of becoming a pilot. Her mother, Angela James, has said her daughter was adventurous and loved motocross, camping and swimming.
A preliminary assessment on James’s body, released earlier this week, suggests there have been “pre-mortem” bites along with evidence consistent with drowning.
The Coroners Court of Queensland has said the coroner is awaiting pathology results to further assist in determining the reason for death.
The method is anticipated to take several weeks.
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