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Daily Mail
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Outrage over koala 'massacre': Helicopter marksmen sniper hundreds dead after devastating bushfires
Hundreds of endangered koalas are being shot dead by helicopters flying over parts of Australia in what welfare groups have called a 'massacre'. The marsupials are being gunned down as part of a welfare programme but campaigners have hit out at the government and called the actions cruel. Roughly 750 koalas, some of which are protected, have been killed by aerial snipers from Australia's Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) as part of a euthanasia programme after bush fires left many injured and starving in Budj Bim National Park. While the government has claimed it is looking out for the koalas best interests, animal welfare groups have reported joeys (baby koalas) plunging from trees still clinging to their dead mothers according to the Sunday Mirror. Wayne Pacelle, President, Center for a Humane Economy told the paper: 'This isn't mercy. It's a massacre.' The number of koalas in Australia has declined in recent years due to disease, bush fires and drought with the population in New South Wales down 60 per cent since 2001. Koalas are listed as endangered in New South Wales, Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory, but they are not in south-west Victoria and South Australia where there are not enough trees to sustain populations. Following the 2019-20 bush fires, scientists warned that koalas were on borrowed time and could even become extinct by 2050 without urgent action. Animal rights groups are now calling on the Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese to act to prevent the cruel mistreatment of one of Australia's most famous animals. Some critics have suggested that the cull is to keep away koalas from commercial eucalyptus plants but Mr Pacelle has said that those in Victoria have simply overlooked the value of the animals. In a statement from Koala Alliance, the protection group said it was dangerous for people to accept the killing of koalas as necessary and allowing the Australian government to continue would set a 'dangerous precedent'. Speaking to The Independent, Jess Robertson, president of the Koala Alliance, said that local communities were disgusted with the methods used and added that it wasn't efficient and did not have the welfare of the koalas at heart. She said: 'There is no way they can tell if a koala is in poor condition from a helicopter.' But Victoria State Government said 48 per cent of 2,219 koalas had been suffering from injuries and burns from bush fires in a sample collected in March. Experts have also said that it is important to consider the habitat of koalas and better manage the landscape. Rolf Schlagloth, from CQUniversity Australia, told Vox: 'We can't eliminate bushfires altogether but more continuous, healthy forests can assist in reducing the risk and severity of fires. Koala habitat needs to be extensive and connected and the management of blue gum plantations needs to consider the koala as these trees are very attractive to them.' Euthanasia should be used as a last resort when animals are severely injured, he added. But an aerial cull 'appears to be a very indiscriminate method,' Dr Schlagloth said.
Daily Mirror
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
Hundreds of koalas shot in aerial cull after wildfires 'is massacre not mercy'
The killing of one of Australia's most endangered species has sparked outrage, but the government says a 'compassionate' response was needed after bushfires to prevent further suffering Hundreds of Australia's iconic and beloved koalas are being massacred in a brutal act that campaigners have called 'state-sanctioned cruelty.' They told of joeys falling from trees and left clinging to their dead or dying mothers after around 750 are believed to have been shot from helicopters. The species is officially endangered in parts of the country after falling victim to disease, drought and fires. But despite such a stark message about their future, hundreds in Budj Bim National Park in the state of Victoria have been killed. Officials said that the operation was conducted out of concern for koalas whose food sources may have been destroyed by the fires, potentially leaving animals injured, starving, or suffering. But welfare groups condemned the killing, calling it reckless, inhumane, and morally indefensible, and said they could have been moved to existing koala hospitals and rehabilitation centres. They have also written to Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese urging him to take action. 'This isn't mercy - it's a massacre,' said Wayne Pacelle, president of The Centre for a Humane Economy. The state and national governments promote koalas as wildlife icons in their marketing campaigns to draw tourists, but they treat the lives of these animals as expendable and as unworthy of the most basic methods of humane care and management. 'The decision-makers in Victoria simply do not understand the value of animal welfare, and their aerial gunning assault against the arboreal and slow-moving koalas is a disgrace.' He also tied the atrocity to the mass slaying of kangaroos, killed mainly for their skins for export for athletic shoes and some other products. He added: 'Whether they shoot from trucks or from aircraft, it's ruthless treatment. If I'm a koala or a kangaroo, let me take my chances even in the wake of fires or drought rather than deal with the henchmen sent out to slaughter the adults and orphan the young. These animals evolved in the presence of major perturbations in their environment.' The number of koalas found in New South Wales has fallen by as much as 61% since 2001 and the koala population has halved in Queensland. The catastrophic 2019-20 bushfires were the final straw, hitting at the heart of struggling populations with scientists warning they could become extinct by 2050 without urgent action to save them. 'This tragedy didn't happen in isolation. It's the result of decades of mismanagement by DEECA,' said a statement by the Koala Alliance. 'Accepting these killings as 'necessary' sets a dangerous precedent — one that normalises cruelty under the guise of welfare, carried out by a government with a long history of secrecy around koala management.' Some critics argue the killings may be linked to efforts to keep koalas away from nearby commercial eucalyptus plantations, where they risk being labelled as pests by private landowners. 'The Budj Bim koala massacre is the latest disgrace from a government that simply does not value wildlife,' said Alyssa Wormald, president of the Victorian Kangaroo Alliance. 'They are already overseeing the systematic slaughter of kangaroos — this is part of a broader ecocidal agenda.' Jennifer Skiff, director of international programs for the Centre for a Humane Economy, told of joeys fallen from trees and left clinging to their dead or dying mothers. She said: 'After the fires of 2019-20, wildlife hospitals were built, and emergency response protocols were put in place. And yet here we are — not failing due to lack of resources or knowledge, but due to a lack of moral compass by those charged with managing wildlife. This is bureaucratic apathy and a betrayal of the global goodwill that helped Australia build the systems meant to protect wildlife after fires.' Victoria State Government said in early March that 2,219 koalas have been assessed by both ground and aerial teams, with 48 per cent identified as suffering severe injuries from the bushfire and requiring humane euthanasia to relieve unnecessarily suffering. Chief Biodiversity Officer James Todd said: 'This has been a long, emotional and difficult animal welfare response, teams have been working hard since early March to respond to and provide welfare for fire impacted wildlife across Budj Bim National Park. 'It was clear from early on that most fire-impacted koalas were in areas simply un-safe and virtually impossible for ground crews to access in a timely manner, which is why we took the decision to conduct aerial assessments and shooting where deemed necessary to remove koala pain and suffering. 'This isn't a decision we took lightly and was undertaken after we had confirmation of the effectiveness and humaneness of an aerial assessment and euthanasia program as well as advice from animal welfare experts and experienced wildlife vets. With the only viable options being to either just leave the koalas to deteriorate and die slowly and painfully or take proactive steps to end their suffering by using aerial assessments and euthanasia.'
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Inaccurate koala 'mass slaughter' claims spread online
"LABOR mass slaughtered over 1,000 endangered Koalas in Victoria last week," reads part of a Facebook post shared on May 3, 2025. "Wildlife experts were not consulted. Gov agencies need to work with wildlife experts to ensure the best outcomes for our native animals." The post was shared as polls opened in Australia's federal election with voters deciding between incumbent Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's centre-left Labor Party and challenger Peter Dutton's conservative coalition (archived link). "A vote for Labor, Greens or any party that preferences Labor is a vote for more native wildlife massacres," the post adds above a picture of two dead koalas lying on a blue tarp. Similar posts were shared elsewhere on Facebook and X weeks after local media reported that hundreds of koalas had been euthanised after a lightning strike sparked a bushfire in Victoria's Budj Bim National Park (archived here and here). "They are a national treasure. This is an abomination," read a comment on one of the posts. Another said: "This government has an agenda to destroy our wildlife and their habitats." The social media posts, however, make no mention of the fire or its impact on the koalas and contradict statements from Victoria's Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA). The agency said the fire burnt 2,200 hectares, including a large area of manna gum canopy which is one of the main food sources for koalas in the park (archived link). The toy-like animals have limited ability to flee fire zones and are vulnerable to burns and respiratory system injuries from heated air and smoke, it said. Euthanasia "was the humane action to take to prevent further suffering," James Todd, DEECA's chief biodiversity officer, told AFP in a May 20 email. He explained an aerial assessment was conducted because of the terrain, remote location of the koalas, and safety risks, and this approach was "informed by an experienced vet and some of Australia's leading wildlife welfare ethics experts". Todd added that an assessment conducted by a wildlife vet "showed that all koalas assessed and euthanised by the aerial team during the trial were in very poor health and would have continued to suffer in a deteriorating state of welfare if they had remained alive". Wildlife Victoria, a non-profit organisation that provides emergency service across the state, also told AFP: "It is not appropriate to have wildlife suffering for weeks." "It is sadly the outcome that in the aftermath of bushfires there is often substantive loss of wildlife life," the organisation said in a May 20 email, adding they were not involved in DEECA's consultation process though they were "briefed on what was happening". "Euthanasia is often the kindest course of action for wildlife that are burnt and suffering extensive injuries." A reverse image search on Google found the picture used alongside the misleading posts was taken more than a decade earlier for a National Geographic story (archived link). The story from the May 2012 edition is titled "Racing to Rescue Koalas" and the photo is credited to Joel Sartore. Sartore, who is also a National Geographic Explorer, told AFP on May 20: "I can confirm that the photo... is a cropped version of a photo I took while on assignment for National Geographic." He said he took the photo in October 2011 for a larger story "about volunteers in Queensland who were working to rescue and rehabilitate trapped or injured koalas". His photo shows over a dozen koalas who were all killed by cars or dogs in a single week (archived link).
AFP
22-05-2025
- Politics
- AFP
Inaccurate koala 'mass slaughter' claims spread online
"LABOR mass slaughtered over 1,000 endangered Koalas in Victoria last week," reads part of a Facebook post shared on May 3, 2025. " experts were not consulted. Gov agencies need to work with wildlife experts to ensure the best outcomes for our native animals." The post was shared as polls opened in with voters deciding between incumbent Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's centre-left Labor Party and challenger Peter Dutton's conservative coalition (archived link). "A vote for Labor, Greens or any party that preferences Labor is a vote for more native wildlife massacres," the post adds above a picture of two dead koalas lying on a blue tarp. Image Screenshot of the misleading Facebook post taken May 22, 2025 on Facebook and X weeks after of koalas had been euthanised after a lightning strike sparked a bushfire in Victoria's Budj Bim National Park (archived here and here). "They are a national treasure. This is an abomination," read a comment on one of the posts. Another said: "This government has an agenda to destroy our wildlife and their habitats." The social media posts, however, make no mention of the fire or its impact on the koalas and contradict statements from Victoria's Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA). 'Kindest course of action' The agency said the fire burnt 2,200 hectares, including a large area of manna gum canopy which is one of the main food sources for koalas in the park (archived link). have limited ability to flee fire zones and are vulnerable to burns and respiratory system injuries from heated air and smoke, it said. Euthanasia "was the humane action to take to prevent further suffering," , DEECA's chief biodiversity officer, told AFP in a May 20 email. He explained an aerial assessment was conducted because of the terrain, remote location of the koalas, and safety risks, and this approach was "informed by an experienced vet and some of Australia's leading wildlife welfare ethics experts". Todd added that an assessment conducted by a wildlife vet "showed that all koalas assessed and euthanised by the aerial team during the trial were in very poor health and would have continued to suffer in a deteriorating state of welfare if they had remained alive". Wildlife Victoria, a non-profit organisation that provides emergency service across the state, also told AFP: "It is not appropriate to have wildlife suffering for weeks." "It is sadly the outcome that in the aftermath of bushfires there is often substantive loss of wildlife life," the organisation said in a May 20 email, adding they were not involved in DEECA's consultation process though they were "briefed on what was happening". "Euthanasia is often the kindest course of action for wildlife that are burnt and suffering extensive injuries." Misused photo A reverse image search on Google found the picture used alongside the misleading posts was taken more than a decade earlier for a National Geographic story (archived link). The edition is titled "Racing to Rescue Koalas" and the photo is credited to Joel Sartore. Image Screenshot comparison of the misleadingly shared image (left) and the National Geographic photo from its May 2012 edition (right) Sartore, who is also a National Geographic Explorer, told AFP on May 20: "I can confirm that the photo... is a cropped version of a photo I took while on assignment for National Geographic." He said he took the photo in October 2011 for a larger story "about volunteers in Queensland who were working to rescue and rehabilitate trapped or injured koalas". His photo shows over a dozen koalas who were all killed by cars or dogs in a single week (archived link).
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Photo reveals sad truth behind koala that was rescued from Aussie national park
Preparations are underway to reopen an Australian national park where a staggering number of koalas were 'euthanised' after a bushfire swept through in early March, causing injuries and food shortages. On Wednesday, Victoria's department of environment DEECA confirmed with Yahoo News that only one animal was rescued and taken into care, while 1,061 were euthanised. 'Since early March, 2,219 koalas have been assessed by both ground and aerial teams, with 48 per cent identified as suffering severe injuries and burns from the bushfire and required humane euthanasia to relieve unnecessary suffering,' it said in a statement. After Yahoo News revealed on April 25 that koalas were being shot from helicopters in World Heritage-listed Budj Bim national park, the story was reported around the world, including the US, UK, India, Japan, South Korea and across Europe. But local animal advocates have now revealed populations of these iconic marsupials living across the surrounding region face an even bigger problem than fire. Koala Alliance president Jessica Robertson visited Victoria's southwest on the weekend, surveying the perimeter of the national park where the 'cull' occurred. Her most immediate concern is that private blue gum plantations continue to be harvested in the surrounding area, further impacting food availability. 'If DEECA is worried about koala welfare, they would stop the harvesting until a better solution can be found," she said. "We can't go on with business as usual, because it's creating endless suffering.' Over 40,000 koalas are estimated to live in blue gum plantations around Victoria, and these feed trees cover over 100,000 hectares in the southwest. Photos taken by Robertson highlight how the marsupials are regularly left homeless after the trees they live in are felled. They're then forced to relocate to protected areas like Budj Bim where they are already overpopulated. Related: Fear for joeys as Australia guns down koalas Robertson's grassroots advocacy group, along with International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), Humane World for Animals, the Greens and the Animal Justice Party, are calling for an independent investigation into long-running concerns about koala management across the southwest. "The sad truth behind these shocking headlines... is the ongoing chronic animal welfare crisis facing koalas in southwest Victoria that has been unfolding for decades. The root cause being rampant habitat loss and the relentless expansion of the blue gum plantation industry. With their natural habitat diminished, koalas are left with nowhere safe to go," IFAW said last week, before launching a petition for an inquiry to address "Victoria's shameful secret". "We are strongly supportive of calls for an independent review of management plans designed to protect koalas in private timber plantations," HWFA added. Koalas have regularly become overabundant in Budj Bim, resulting in the need for regular health assessments and euthanasia. In 2022, a DEECA-led team performed two medical assessment operations inside the park. During the first, 93 were examined, 28 euthanised, and 53 were given fertility control. The second resulted in 30 of 135 being declared unviable due to welfare concerns. A participant in the health-check program, who spoke to Yahoo on the condition of anonymity, said koala populations regularly boom inside the park after trees across surrounding plantations are cleared. Only small clusters of trees are left for the koalas, forcing them to flee once the leaves run out. DEECA has conceded that "overpopulation in Budj Bim is an ongoing management issue", and there were between 1 and 1.5 koalas per hectare in the fire zone. Environment minister Steve Dimopoulos is yet to directly address Yahoo's questions about the welfare of koalas in the southwest, or the euthanasia program at Budj Bim. The only planned response Yahoo is aware of is a standard post-incident review by DEECA that will assess the successes and failings of the euthanasia program. But for many animal lovers, this internal review is simply not enough. Over 1,600 people are calling for an independent inquiry, and more than 21,000 people have signed a petition. 'Without warning, and without public consultation [DEECA] has authorised the aerial and ground-based shooting of koalas, claiming the animals were suffering due to lack of food after recent bushfires. Yet this brutal decision was made behind closed doors — and we, the public, were never supposed to find out,' the latter petition states. This week, the Liberal Party renewed calls for the government to publicly release all documents that led to its aerial shooting response. DEECA's chief biodiversity officer James Todd described the response to the Budj Bim fire as long, emotional and difficult'. He said the decision to proceed with euthanasia wasn't taken lightly, and only went ahead after approval from wildlife experts and vets. 'It was clear from early on that most fire-impacted koalas were in areas simply unsafe and virtually impossible for ground crews to access in a timely manner, which is why we took the decision to conduct aerial assessments and shooting where deemed necessary to remove koala pain and suffering,' he said. DEECA has since reassessed the health of koalas at Budj Bim, and found the 'overall state' of populations in the fire-impacted area had 'significantly improved'. To help support the remaining koalas, the agency is undertaking a program of invasive predator control. And the state government confirmed with Yahoo it will provide $1 million through its BushBank program to revegetate areas of private land adjacent to Budj Bim to provide koalas with additional habitat. But despite these programs and the massive loss of koala life, DEECA appears to expect ongoing health issues will continue at Budj Bim into the future. 'Ground crews will continue to do monitoring for some time, and longer-term, land managers will continue to do important health checks to support a sustainable population in the park,' Todd said. Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week's best stories.
