Following the tragic death of a young tourist on K'gari, the Queensland government announced it will euthanise an entire dingo family. However, the indigenous community is warning this is the wrong move for both local wildlife and people.
The dingoes of K'gari, known as wongari, are sacred to the Butchulla Aboriginal Corporation and are explicitly recognised in the island's World Heritage listing. Butchulla leaders say they were not consulted, not informed, and not respected before the decision to destroy the animals was made.
Conservation scientists agree this approach is misguided. Removing entire dingo families from a small, isolated population accelerates genetic collapse and does nothing to improve public safety. Experts warn the K'gari dingo population could face extinction within decades if this pattern continues
Sign now to demand Indigenous consultation and real solutions, not reactionary wildlife killings.
The Butchulla people co-manage K'gari through native title, but learned of the decision only after it had already been carried out. The head of the Butchulla Aboriginal Corporation described the action as a "cull" and said she was "dumbfounded" by the government's disregard for Indigenous governance and the island's own management plan.
For years, Indigenous leaders and conservationists have pointed to the real driver of conflict: over-tourism. K'gari's World Heritage advisory committee has already warned that unchecked visitor numbers are putting the island's ecology at risk. Human behavior — not the existence of dingoes — is what increases danger.
Killing wildlife without consent or consultation does not honor the life lost, protect visitors, or respect Indigenous sovereignty. It only guarantees the same mistakes will be repeated.
We are calling on the Queensland government to immediately halt further killings, formally consult the Butchulla people on wildlife management decisions, and implement meaningful limits on tourism in sensitive habitat areas.
True safety comes from respect for Indigenous knowledge, for ecosystems, and for life itself.
Sign the petition to demand consultation, conservation, and an end to over-tourism before more harm is done.
