Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan defends mass koala cull in Victoria's Budj Bim National Park amid fierce backlash from wildlife advocates
Up to 750 koalas have been shot dead by helicopter snipers in Victoria over the past month, sparking heated debate among MPs and wildlife advocates
Hundreds of koalas have been killed in Budj Bim National Park in the state's west as part of a planned culling following a wildfire there that wiped out about 2,000 hectares of bushland last month.
Environment officials say the move is necessary as many of the koalas are already severely injured, dehydrated or on the brink of starvation.
The use of helicopter-based snipers is believed to be the first koala cull of its kind in the state's history.
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan has defended the cull, saying the koalas being targeted were 'in a lot of distress'.
Ms Allan said on Friday the decision to shoot the koalas was made after 'extensive assessments'.
The Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) is overseeing the operation, which has been called into question by wildlife advocates, including Koala Alliance president Jess Robertson.
'There is no way they can tell if a koala is in poor condition from a helicopter,' Ms Robertson said.
Animal Justice Party MP Georgie Purcell raised concerns for any unborn joeys caught up in the cull.
'No efforts are being made to check, when you're blasting koalas from helicopters, to see if they have pouch-young,' she told the Herald Sun.
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