More test will be needed to determine whether a Canadian tourist, Piper James, whose body was found on a beach on K’gairi (Fraser Island) earlier this week, died as the result of a dingo attack, or by drowning.
Two men driving on the beach north of the Maheno Wreck came across the dead teenager surrounded by a large pack of dingoes in what was described as ‘a very traumatic and horrific scene’.
The tourist was reportedly found with significant wounds across her body — including possible defensive wounds– and was found surrounded by up to a dozen dingoes.
The Coroners Court of Queensland has opened an investigation into the death but says the body will require more tests after an autopsy is completed.
Dingoes can cause issues for travellers on K'gari. PIC: DETSI
“Following the autopsy, further scientific testing will be required,” a Coroners Court spokesperson said. “These further results and establishing the cause of death may take some time.
Police say their initial information indicates the woman may have gone for a swim around 5am yesterday morning.
Wide Bay District Inspector Paul Algie told the Courier Mail that, while the woman had obviously been interfered with by dingoes, police were keeping an open mind on her cause of death.
“At this stage it’s too early to speculate on cause of death, we simply can’t confirm whether this young lady drowned or died as a result of being attacked by dingoes,” he said.
The last person to have been killed by dingoes on K’gari was nine-year-old Clinton Gage who was attacked by at least two animals back in 2001.
There have been numerous negative interactions between dingoes and people on the island since then.
Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service rangers has now increased patrols, with the Courier Mail reporting that camping zone five has been temporarily closed and five new signs have been installed to raise awareness about dingo safety.
“This is a heartbreaking tragedy that has understandably left many Queenslanders reeling,” Acting Environment and Tourism Minister Deb Frecklington told the newspaper. “The Department will work closely with Queensland Police as they continue their investigation.”
While K’gari dingoes are protected, high-risk dingoes can be destroyed to protect people from attacks. There are about 200 dingoes in 30 packs living on the island.
Last year, a series of photos revealed just what opportunistic feeders dingoes on K’gari are … and just how incredible their sense of smell is. Taken by rangers from the Department of Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation (DETSI), the pictures show the results of food and rubbish being incorrectly stored by campers.
And incidents don’t even have to be the result of particularly careless behaviour.
A correspondent on the Grey Nomads website reported last year that a dingo had ripped open the window fly on his tent and dragged a large suitcase out the hole and halfway down the road.
“The dingo had smelt that the bag had food in it, but in fact, the bag was used to carry snacks to camp but those food items had been removed and stored safely in the boot of the 4WD,” the correspondent said. “But it goes to show that the smell of the food lingered on the bag and was enough for the dingo to investigate … I learnt then, my next trip to K’gari will see that all food is stored in plastic tubs from the get go.”
Are you a Grey Nomad member yet? Click here to find out about the discounts, competitions and other benefits on offer.
I’m sorry to see the death of this young lady. This is an island and the dingoes are increasing , have they looked at the food supply for the dingoes, bet they haven’t! And now there looking for alternatives ( humans)
200+ Dingoes tells me theres not enough food for that many animals, you only have to look at there conditioning, very skinny most of them and what Ive been told by one very local who has been travelling there from H Bay for 40 yrs, there behaviour has changed.
Very sad for Piper’s family and friend’s.
There is plenty of food on K’gari for the dingoes , for very balanced and informative information follow indefinite leave on fb. There is plenty of information there and other places if you care to look
I am sick of the dingo bashing! Tourists must be made to take the waste of what they take to the island back with them. Tourist numbers must be reduced. These sensationalist ambulance chaser media reports must be banned as no one knows what happened to this girl. Any wild animal like dingoes will investigate unusual smells like dead fish along the shoreline. I have my own suspicions but not headlines…..
Tourist numbers are high due to high advertising. If the tourist numbers drop off then the tourist operators will be complaining bitterly. There is no easy answer, i went ages ago when it was still Fraser Island and the Dingo numbers were low but one still had to be careful as the Dingoes are wild animals and their whole existence revolves around food.
Maybe time to relocate some of the animals to lesson the numbers on the island to make more food available, obviously far too many skinny animals on the island says alot.
You should educate yourself about why ( and when ) they are skinny , I’d bet you would be surprised.
Yes, I personally, lived in Country west of Gympie Qld many years ago (around 1950) we lived on a small Mixed Dairy / Crops Farm and one Night one of the Pregnant Cows had given birth to a Calf, and when I rode (on Horse Back ) out to check on the Cows & bring them in for Milking, well there the Dingoes were, all gathered around the Dead Calf & they had torn it to pieces, and on my approach, a few of the Dingoes rushed at the Horse, which became very agitated and almost through me off, so it was forget the other Cows and get out of there real quick, and I went back around about an Hour Latter with the Rifle and let off a couple of Rounds into the Air, which sent the Dingoes off into the Bush allowing me to be able to round up the Cows and take them up to the Dairy for Milking. But, yes, they are Wild and if Feeding can be very aggressive if approached.
I have seen hundreds of dingo’s and these on Frazer island are in very poor condition to the ones on the mainland.
With all the concerns for the dingo and tourist, why not close the Island to tourism for a set period and see what food is available to support the 200+ dingoes
A controlled study would be the only way to justify the any decisions of tourist interference with the welfare of the animals.
I heard yesterday that it’s not conclusive she died of Dingo attack. That there was suspicion she could have been killed by other means and then dumped in amongst the dingoes.
I always treat with suspicion when I read or hear the words… “I HEARD”
What..on the grapevine…??
because it’s always usually “fake news”
If you had a dog in your back yard in the condition as most of the Dingo’s the RSPCA would be knocking on your door. Surely if their natural food source is slowing down why don’t the rangers supply the short fall of food in a designated area away from campers which will keep them in that area under some sort of control.
How sustainable do they think the dingoes can survive on native foods on the island as they suggest they do? At what risk does this then have on the existing native fauna they’re feeding on? To me it’s a no brainer that we’ll end up with an island full of dingoes and little else native. 200 animals and still increasing is a considerable amount of food required.
Look at the rest of Australia, do we have many dingo attacks?. No because they have access to plenty of natural food,not so on Frazer Island.they are starving ,wake up the people in charge, people’s welfare is much more important
Why i ask couldn’t we do as in Victoria near Castlemaine have a dingo tourist centre on Fraser Island similar to theirs,dingoes kept in large acreages n supervised by expert dingo handler’s. If tourists are mainly going to Fraser Island to see dingo’s then it would be a roaring success, pay for entry as I did many years ago when it was a private refuge, it was a very enjoyable experience that I have never forgotten, many dingoes running up to meet me as I entered ,nothing to fear as they were expertly cared for, they were fed a tonne block of frozen chicken frames every day of the year. The rangers get paid anyhow so the tourists dollar is going to pay for their feed.etc.a win ,win situation all round and people can walk,swim camp in safety with their children.
Ban the bogan humans.Introduce tours or tagalong tours only.