Female tourist suspected of being bitten to death by Australian wild dogs

At around 6:35 a.m. on January 19, tourist Piper James – 19 years old, Canadian – was found dead on the beach of K’gari Island in Queensland, Australia. The witness said that while driving, he saw about 10 wild dingo dogs surrounding a girl and called the police.

Piper and her friends plan to travel backpacking around Australia for 5 months, from October 2025, so they applied for a short-term job at a boarding house in K’gari. About 75 minutes before Piper’s body was discovered, she left the motel and told her friend she was going swimming and watching the sunrise.

The cause of death is still under investigation and has not been officially determined. Queensland Police said the victim’s body had marks “consistent with being attacked by a dingo”.

However, they left open the possibility of Piper drowning because this was a sea with strong waves and the female tourist was swimming alone. Forensic staff are examining injuries and DNA traces to determine the exact cause. A source said police “cannot rule out the possibility that Piper was attacked by a dingo while unconscious or drowned”.

Angela James, Piper James’ mother, said her daughter “always dreamed of traveling” since she was little. Piper bought a round-trip ticket for the trip to Australia and will return next March. Before the trip, her family warned her about the risks on the island and told her “not to swim alone”.

“She broke the rules and died. She was our only daughter,” she said.

On his personal page, Todd James – the victim’s father – also posted an article in memory of his daughter. He remembered that before leaving, she told her she was 18 years old and no one could stop her. Surprised by his son’s determination, Mr. Todd agreed.

“You worked hard to play hard. Rest up, honey,” Piper’s dad wrote.

Friends describe Piper as “loving life, loving nature, loving dogs, and being a good swimmer.” She always smiles and inspires everyone around her. Previously, Piper worked at the BC Wildfire Service to save money on travel.

K’gari is the largest sand island in the world, located off the coast of Queensland and has been recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site since 1992. The island has an area of ​​about 1,653 km2, famous for its diverse ecosystem including tropical rainforests, freshwater lakes, beaches, lagoons and sandy terrain that changes constantly due to the wind. This is a popular backpacking destination, attracting about 400,000 visitors each year.

On K’gari, dingoes are legally protected as purebred native species – meaning they are less likely to interbreed with domestic dogs than on the mainland. They play an important ecological role, controlling other animal populations, helping to balance the ecosystem, and are famous as apex predators. Dingo was introduced to Australia 3,500-4,000 years ago and is currently the largest wild dog in this country. They are omnivorous, can hunt small animals, eat carrion, fish, sea turtles and sometimes human food.

Dingo attacks still occur, the most famous being Azaria Chamberlain in August 1980. Baby girl Azaria Chantel Loren Chamberlain, 9 weeks old, disappeared from the family tent while parents Lindy and Michael were camping with their two older sons. Her mother said her daughter was taken away by a dingo, and her body has not been found.

Initially, Lindy was accused of killing her daughter and received a life sentence in 1982. In 1986, Azaria’s coat was found near the dingo den and the mother was released. In 2021, after the fourth autopsy, the forensic scientist officially concluded that Azaria was attacked and taken away by a dingo as the family’s initial testimony.