Queensland's Decision to Kill Dingo Pack Sparks Warning of 'Extinction Vortex'
A decision by the Queensland government to kill a 10-strong pack of dingoes linked to the death of a Canadian tourist on K'gari has been met with criticism from experts, who warn that this move could push the island's population towards extinction.
The killing of six of the pack has angered the island's traditional owners, who claim they were not consulted. The decision comes after 19-year-old Piper James was found dead near a dingo pack on January 19th, with her body showing signs of physical trauma and injuries consistent with dingo bites.
Experts say that removing this significant portion of the population could have a disproportionate impact on the already genetically constrained dingo population. With only between 70 to 200 dingoes living on the island, reducing their numbers by 10 could exacerbate the issue of inbreeding and low genetic diversity, making them more susceptible to disease.
Dr Kylie Cairns, an expert on dingo genetics at the University of New South Wales, warned that this decision is a "kneejerk reaction" and does not address the underlying problem. She believes that killing the pack could lead to an increase in movement of other dingo family groups claiming the vacant territory, ultimately increasing conflict between humans and dingoes.
"Culling never fixes an underlying problem," said Dr Bradley Smith, an expert on interactions and conflict between dingoes and humans at Central Queensland University. "This is a people problem. You have to fix how people behave."
The decision has also raised concerns about the impact on the overall dingo population on K'gari, which could lead to an extinction vortex. The island's isolated dingo population, likely present for thousands of years, already suffers from low genetic diversity and high levels of inbreeding.
As the government continues to grapple with the implications of this decision, experts emphasize that a more comprehensive approach is needed to address the underlying issues affecting human-dingo interactions on the island.
A decision by the Queensland government to kill a 10-strong pack of dingoes linked to the death of a Canadian tourist on K'gari has been met with criticism from experts, who warn that this move could push the island's population towards extinction.
The killing of six of the pack has angered the island's traditional owners, who claim they were not consulted. The decision comes after 19-year-old Piper James was found dead near a dingo pack on January 19th, with her body showing signs of physical trauma and injuries consistent with dingo bites.
Experts say that removing this significant portion of the population could have a disproportionate impact on the already genetically constrained dingo population. With only between 70 to 200 dingoes living on the island, reducing their numbers by 10 could exacerbate the issue of inbreeding and low genetic diversity, making them more susceptible to disease.
Dr Kylie Cairns, an expert on dingo genetics at the University of New South Wales, warned that this decision is a "kneejerk reaction" and does not address the underlying problem. She believes that killing the pack could lead to an increase in movement of other dingo family groups claiming the vacant territory, ultimately increasing conflict between humans and dingoes.
"Culling never fixes an underlying problem," said Dr Bradley Smith, an expert on interactions and conflict between dingoes and humans at Central Queensland University. "This is a people problem. You have to fix how people behave."
The decision has also raised concerns about the impact on the overall dingo population on K'gari, which could lead to an extinction vortex. The island's isolated dingo population, likely present for thousands of years, already suffers from low genetic diversity and high levels of inbreeding.
As the government continues to grapple with the implications of this decision, experts emphasize that a more comprehensive approach is needed to address the underlying issues affecting human-dingo interactions on the island.
. I mean, it's like trying to fix a leaky pipe by just cutting out all the pipes nearby... doesn't make sense, right? The dingo population is already super small and fragmented on K'gari, so taking out 10 more animals is just gonna make things worse. And what's with the "kneejerk reaction" comment? Like, we know there was an accident and now you wanna rush into something without thinking it through? It feels like they're just trying to cover their backsides. I wish they'd take a step back and look at the bigger picture... or maybe just talk to the traditional owners and figure out a more peaceful way to coexist 
so these dingos are already super low on numbers and now we're gonna kill off half of the pack because one person died? isn't that kinda harsh? 
and what really gets me is that it's not even a clear-cut case – was this tourist just messing with the dingos or did they actually attack her? 
those ppl dont no wot dey r doin experts r sayin its a bad idea & its gonna lead 2 extinction vortex!!! low genetic diversity & inbreeding already r probles so wha kinda savior iz dis? & dont even get me started on traditional owners havin a fit 
cant gov just listen 2 them 4 once?
. They're killing off an entire dingo pack just because one human got hurt? That sounds like a convenient excuse for them to wipe out some of their competition. I mean, what if these dingoes were just trying to protect themselves from that tourist? We don't know the whole story, but it's definitely suspicious 
. We need to keep digging and see what else we can uncover, trust me! 
. I mean, those poor dingos are already struggling with low numbers and inbreeding anyway, so taking out half the pack seems like a recipe for disaster 
. What's needed is some education and understanding between humans and dingoes, not more killing 
. And what really gets me is that the government just went ahead and did it without even consulting the traditional owners – talk about a major fail 
. We need some real solutions here, not just knee-jerk reactions 
.
i feel bad 4 the traditional owners who aren't being consulted tho... shouldn't they be part of the solution? 
. And don't even get me started on the genetic diversity, fam... 70-200 dingoes already and now they're reducing the numbers by 10? It's like, you can't just take away a piece of that puzzle and expect everything to fit perfectly 
.
. Like, what were they even thinking? Dr Bradley Smith said it all - culling never fixes the problem, it's a people issue 
.
instead of just trying to wipe 'em out 
. This extinction vortex thing is real though 
, and I'm keeping a close eye on this situation 
also, whats with qld gov not talkin to the traditional owners first? 
thats just basic respect and communication 
gotta hope some sense comes out of this soon 
anyway, i guess the government is just trying to fix a "people problem"... huh? who knew having people around could be so problematic? 
and how much i want to visit K'gari and hang out with them in the wild... maybe we should just give them a reality TV show instead? 
I don't think culling is ever gonna be the answer... it just creates more issues in the long run 
. The government needs to take a step back and think about what's really going on here.
. Killing six dingoes is like, harshing their mellow, you know? Those guys are already struggling with low genetic diversity, it's not like they're gonna thrive after losing 10 more members.
. We gotta take care of these amazing creatures and their habitats, or else who knows what's gonna happen next? 
. plus Dr Kylie Cairns says culling is like a kneejerk reaction and doesnt address the root problem 
. I mean, yeah, it's sad about the tourist girl and all, but culling the whole pack? That's just crazy talk! 
. Instead of killing off an entire pack, they could be trying to educate people about how to deal with dingos safely and stuff 
. Removing a whole pack like that is going to cause more problems than it solves. And what really gets me is that some of those dingos might not even be responsible for the poor tourist's death