Thousands have responded to a poll about the culling of dingoes on K’gari. Source: Getty/Facebook

The culling of six dingoes on the Queensland island of K’gari, formerly Fraser Island, has sparked a backlash online. Thousands of social media users responding to a Yahoo News Australia poll have overwhelmingly voted against the action.

More than 25,000 of 31,000 readers said they opposed the government’s decision, and just 5,700 supported it.

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“Dingoes — especially on K’gari, where they hold such deep cultural and ecological significance—is genuinely gut-wrenching,” one person wrote in response.

“No, we are in their domain!” another wrote.

A small pack of around 10 animals was targeted a week after they were found surrounding the body of 19-year-old Candanian Piper James, who is believed to have drowned.

Her mother, Angela James, said a cull was the “last thing” their daughter would have wanted.

“She loved all animals, no matter what. She wouldn’t want anything done to [the dingoes]; they were there first,” she told the ABC.

While pre-mortem dingo bite marks were found on her body, autopsy results have not determined if the animals contributed to her death.

Dingoes have been linked to deaths and injuries on K’gari. In 2001, a dingo killed nine-year-old Clinton Gage, sparking a cull of over 30 animals.

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In 2023, jogger Sarah Peet was reportedly corralled into the water by a dingo and suffered injuries that left her hospitalised. The animal responsible was euthanised.

Following the death of Piper James, the pack seen near her body was deemed an “unacceptable risk to public safety” by the Queensland government.

Queensland Environment Minister Andrew Powell said while the decision was a “tough” one, it was the “right call in the public interest”.

The culling has frustrated some Traditional Owners who claim they were not consulted first. And many dingo advocates have also voiced their disapproval.

Poll gives snapshot of community sentiment

While online poll results are not scientifically rigorous, they can provide a snapshot of reader sentiment.

A similar poll conducted by radio station KIIS FM reported similar results, with over 90 per cent of respondents opposing the cull.

There are only around 200 dingoes on K’gari, and so the killing of any individual can have an impact on the wider population. Advocacy group Save Fraser Island’s Dingoes also raised concerns it could destabilise the pack.

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A separate new poll was created on Tuesday to investigate whether audience sentiment had changed.

Shark cull poll reveals closer result

After four shark attacks in NSW a week ago, there were several public calls for a cull, including from former Prime Minister Tony Abbott and an ecologist who called for a controlled trial.

The results on Yahoo’s shark culling poll were closer, with around 11,000 people saying no and 10,000 saying yes.

A poll in the Daily Telegraph was also close, but of its 2,060 readers who cast a vote, around 68 per cent voted yes.

Wildlife culls are a common occurrence in Australia, with kangaroos, native birds, and flying foxes commonly targeted.

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Even koalas have been euthanised en masse when they have over-browsed forests and denuded trees of their leaves — a problem that occurs after their habitat is reduced or fragmented.

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