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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
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.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Photos expose fresh blow after 1,061 koalas shot in national park: 'Sad truth'
Over 23,000 people are calling for more transparency from government about a growing problem facing koalas. There are calls for an independent iquiry into the welfare of koalas living in plantations across Victoria's southwest. Source: Jessica Robertson Preparations are underway to reopen an Australian national park where more than 1,000 koalas were 'euthanised' after a bushfire swept through in early March, causing injuries and food shortages. After Yahoo News revealed koalas were being shot from helicopters, 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 World Heritage-listed Budj Bim 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 (Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action) 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.' ADVERTISEMENT 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 their habitat trees 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 While there are management plans that govern koala welfare as plantations are harvested, critics say they need to be reviewed. Source: Jessica Robertson 'Sad truth' behind koala deaths 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". ADVERTISEMENT "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. How many koalas were shot after the fire? On Wednesday, DEECA confirmed with Yahoo only one animal was rescued and taken into care, while 1,061 were euthanised. ADVERTISEMENT '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. When koala feed trees at private plantations are harvested, the koalas are forced to relocate to Budj Bim, worsening population issues. Source: Jessica Robertson Why are 21,000 people calling for transparency? 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. ADVERTISEMENT '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. What's the future for the surviving koalas? 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.
Time of India
24-04-2025
- General
- Time of India
Why Australia shot dead hundreds of Koalas from helicopters
Australia is facing intense backlash after nearly 700 koalas were shot dead from helicopters in a controversial wildlife cull in Victoria's Budj Bim National Park. The operation, carried out by state authorities, began in early April following bushfires that destroyed over 2,000 hectares of habitat. Officials say the decision was made to prevent further suffering among starving, injured, and dehydrated koalas. However, animal rights groups argue the method is inhumane and poorly executed, leaving many orphaned joeys without care. The aerial shooting has sparked public outrage, with calls for an immediate halt and an independent review of the operation. Why were koalas killed The Victorian government claims that the cull was necessary to prevent further suffering among injured, dehydrated, and starving koalas. The bushfires left many animals in critical condition, prompting what officials describe as a humane euthanasia effort based on expert veterinary assessments. Aerial Shooting: A first for koalas What sets this cull apart is its method. Trained marksmen shot the koalas from helicopters, something never before done with this species in Australia. While aerial culling is sometimes used for wild horses (brumbies) or deer, it's highly controversial when applied to a vulnerable and iconic animal like the koala. Animal rights groups call for accountability Animal advocacy groups, including Friends of the Earth Melbourne and Koala Alliance, have condemned the method, calling it cruel and unethical. They argue that evaluating a koala's health from 30 metres above ground is unreliable and may lead to healthy animals and even mothers with joeys being killed unnecessarily. 'It's despicable. It's cruel,' said Koala Alliance in a statement on Facebook. A call for an independent review Activists are demanding an immediate halt to the cull and are calling for an independent investigation into the government's decision-making process. They are also pushing for wildlife vets and third-party observers to be granted access to assess the situation on the ground. The cordoned-off area remains closed to outside help, increasing suspicions and public pressure on the Victorian government to allow transparency. Koalas: A species under threat This crisis highlights the broader challenges koalas face across Australia. They are officially listed as endangered in Queensland, New South Wales, and the Australian Capital Territory due to habitat destruction, logging, and climate-fueled bushfires. Conservationists fear that this kind of aggressive response to wildlife management could set a dangerous precedent. While authorities insist the cull was an act of mercy, the backlash reflects growing concern over how Australia treats its endangered wildlife. The situation has become a flashpoint in the debate between managing suffering and protecting vulnerable species. For now, the fate of many joeys and the ethical debate over this controversial method remain unresolved.
Russia Today
24-04-2025
- General
- Russia Today
700 koalas killed in helicopter sniper operation
Australian authorities are under fire following the culling of hundreds of koalas in the state of Victoria. Around 700 koalas have been shot by snipers from helicopters flying over Victoria's Budj Bim National Park, in an act of euthanasia following a devastating bushfire that scorched over 2,000 hectares of habitat. The fire left many koalas injured, dehydrated, and without food, prompting authorities to initiate the cull in early April as a means to prevent further suffering. Animal welfare organizations have voiced alarm over the wellbeing of orphaned joeys left behind, media reported on Tuesday. However, the approach – deploying snipers to shoot the animals from helicopters – has sparked swift and widespread backlash. Activists have raised concerns that decisions were being made by veterinarians and shooters from distances of up to 30 meters, increasing the risk of mistakenly killing healthy koalas—including mothers still caring for their joeys. 'The use of aerial shooting should be treated as a last resort,' Friends of the Earth Melbourne said in a statement, urging authorities to pause the cull and allow independent observers access to the site. 'This is the first time that koalas have been killed by shooting from a helicopter in Australia,' the organization said. 'Aerial culling of koalas is an Australian first and sets a nasty ethical precedent.' The animal protection organization Koala Alliance echoed concerns about vulnerable young joeys potentially being left behind to starve or succumb to exposure. 'If koalas were shot out of trees, this means many joeys would be left to suffer and die. It's despicable. It's cruel,' the group said in a statement on Facebook. The regional government has defended its decision to conduct an aerial cull of koalas in Budj Bim National Park, citing expert assessments and veterinary advice. However, calls for an independent review of the culling process have been growing, with activists urging for more humane and precise methods of wildlife management.
