The pack of 10 dingoes that were found surrounding the body of Campbell River backpacker Piper James on an island in Australia are being humanely euthanized.
James left Canada on a months-long backpacking trip in October 2025 with a friend. She had recently arrived and started working at a local business on K’gari Island, a world heritage island formerly known as Fraser Island off the Queensland coast, when her body was discovered on Jan. 19.
Results of a preliminary autopsy released last week found physical evidence consistent with drowning and injuries consistent with dingo bites.
“Pre-mortem dingo bite marks are not likely to have caused immediate death,” said a spokesperson with the Coroners Court of Queensland confirmed on Jan. 23. “There are extensive post-mortem dingo bite marks.”
Since the incident, rangers have closely monitored the pack of dingoes involved in the incident and have “observed some aggressive behaviour,” according to a spokesperson with Australia’s Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation.
Following these findings, this pack’s involvement in the incident and observations since, this “pack has been deemed an unacceptable public safety risk,” wrote the spokesperson in a media release.
According to media reports in Australia, one of the 10 dingoes had also threatened another camper in the days following the teen’s death. This is the first time in 25 years that dingos have contributed to a death on K’gari Island.
Australian media is also reporting that a common hunting practice of dingoes is to chase prey into the surf.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to support the family.