Animal rights groups are criticizing the Australian government after around 700 koalas were killed by helicopter snipers. The government said it approved the killing in Victoria’s Budj Bim National Park for humane reasons. This is the first time koalas were killed this way.
Activists argued healthy koalas and mothers with joeys were likely shot during the mission.
The operation started in early April after bushfires destroyed more than 2,000 hectares of koala habitat. Authorities said the goal was to euthanize koalas that were starving, injured, or severely dehydrated.
But wildlife groups say shooting koalas from helicopters is inhumane and risky. “Health assessments have to be made from the air, but how accurate are these assessments?” Friends of the Earth Melbourne said in a statement.
“Allowing shooters to kill koalas indiscriminately from helicopters without proper health assessments? Not checking if these koalas are healthy, or if they are mothers carrying dependent joeys?” said the Koala Alliance on Facebook.
“Health assessments cannot be done from 30 meters above the ground. This is not science, this is cruelty,” it added.
The group also warned that joeys may now be suffering or dying alone because the fire-damaged area is closed off and no rescue teams are allowed in.
Koalas are listed as endangered in Queensland, New South Wales, and the Australian Capital Territory. Many have lost their homes due to bushfires, logging, and the expansion of plantations.
The Victorian government defended the culling, saying it followed advice from veterinary experts.
Support The Animal Reader – Daily Animal News
The Animal Reader is an independent animal news platform based in the Netherlands. We share daily updates about animal-related issues.
