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Canadian teen identified after her body was found surrounded by pack of dingoes on Australian island
A 19-year-old Canadian woman has been identified after her body was found reportedly surrounded by a pack of dingoes on an Australian island this week.
Piper James was named by Australian media outlets as the teen who had been living on K’gari, off the Queensland coast, for six weeks. James had been working at a backpacker hostel with a friend while on the island. Police have not confirmed her identity.
A close friend of James, Brianna Falk, told Canadian Press that she learned of the death after speaking to another friend who had been in touch with the 19-year-old’s family. Falk met James three years ago, in a high school English class they attended in Campbell River, B.C.
“We had so many plans and she was so young,” said Falk to Canadian Press on Tuesday. “You never think that it is going to be somebody that you know, let alone one of your closest friends.”
She described James as someone who loved nature and “was always down to talk.”
“She was very real,” said Falk. “There was never any confusion as to whether she liked you or not. She would definitely tell you to your face.”
Falk told the outlet that James’ plan to travel to Australia was “spur of the moment” and was hatched around six months ago. James, who went to Australia with another friend, “mentioned that they didn’t really have a plan, and it was very nice and free-spirited,” said Falk.
“They were having a blast,” she added.
A spokesperson for Global Affairs Canada told National Post in a statement on Monday that it was aware of the death of a Canadian citizen in Australia. While Canadian officials are providing consular assistance to the family, no further details can be disclosed due to privacy concerns.
Authorities said it is believed the 19-year-old went out for a swim early Monday morning. Police were called to the scene around 6:35 a.m. local time and found her unresponsive. Soon after, she was declared dead. Two men who had been driving past the area spotted about 10 dingoes surrounding an object, police said, according to news.com.au .
“(It) was obviously a very traumatic and horrific scene for them to uncover,” said police Insp. Paul Algie said, per the publication.
Algie also said there were “markings on her body consistent with having been touched and interfered with by the dingoes,” as reported by the Australia Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).
The cause of death has not yet been determined. An autopsy is expected on Wednesday.
Fraser Coast Mayor George Seymour called the death a “massive tragedy,” 9 News Australia reported .
Police continued to investigate the scene on Tuesday as park rangers closed camp grounds in the area near the spot where the body was found. Rangers have also increased patrols.
“Dingoes are an important part of this wilderness on K’gari. It’s part of why people go there — to escape and be part of a wilderness … and there are dangers there,” said Seymour speaking on Australian morning news show TODAY.
“This is a very unusual situation to have a body on the beach and not know if she drowned or if she was attacked by a pack of dingoes. We have seen an escalation of aggressive dingo activity over the last four or five years. It’s been 25 years since there was a fatal attack.”
In April 2001, a nine-year-old boy was killed by two dingoes on K’gari, formerly known as Fraser Island, The Guardian and ABC News reported .
Seymour added that the rangers do an “incredible job” and said a big part of their duties include keeping dingoes separate from people. “In some ways, it’s inevitable that there will be a fatality given how many bites and attacks have happened over the years,” he said.
He urged tourists to stay away from wild animals. Tourists who visit with young children should keep them within arms’ length, he said. “Most of the attacks have been on young children,” he said.
Under Australia’s Nature Conservation Act 1992, dingoes on K’gari are protected wildlife . It is illegal to interfere with them. However, the wild animals do not always steer clear of humans.
In 2023, a 23-year-old woman was hospitalized after four dingoes attacked her while she was jogging on K’gari, ABC reported . In 2012, a dingo attacked two young children and a 16-year-old girl, according to The Courier Mail . The same year, at least seven dingoes were euthanized by park rangers, mainly due to exhibiting aggressive behaviour.
“Dingoes on K’gari have chased joggers and children who are playing. What appears as playful dog behaviour is actually serious dominance testing by the dingoes, which can lead to aggression. Avoid jogging and running as it can attract and excite dingo attention and trigger a negative interaction,” according to a Queensland government webpage about the animals.
People who are walking alone “have been threatened and nipped by dingoes,” it says, adding that dingoes can become aggressive around food, especially when people try to pull food away.
“Dingoes have bitten visitors, occasionally quite severely, and are capable of killing people.”
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