Latest news with #WildlifeVictoria
The Guardian
25-04-2025
- General
- The Guardian
Why were hundreds of koalas shot in an aerial cull in Victoria?
The Victorian government has used aircraft to shoot about 700 koalas in south-west Victoria. The government says the unprecedented step was taken to prevent further suffering of the animals, after a fire in Budj Bim national park burned through 2,200 hectares, including a large area of manna gum, a key food source for koalas in the park. While aerial culling is routinely used in controlling invasive species such as deer and pigs, this was the first time wildlife have been shot by air for welfare reasons. The drastic action has sparked outrage and received global media attention – so why do it? Lisa Palma, chief executive of Wildlife Victoria, says the organisation was 'deeply saddened' by the devastating impact on the koala population due to the fires in the Budj Bim national park. 'National parks are the last bastion for our wildlife and increasing severity of bushfires and other extreme weather events puts Australia's incredible native species like the koala at significant risk.' 'The tragic reality is that bushfires typically lead to substantive loss of life and suffering for our wildlife and the most compassionate course of action for wildlife suffering severe burns and injuries is often euthanasia.' Palma says no koala should lose its life without deep consideration and care, and Wildlife Victoria's priority was ensuring that any method of euthanasia the government used after a bushfire was 'humane, instant and has appropriate oversight'. Sign up for the Afternoon Update: Election 2025 email newsletter The state government's chief biodiversity officer, James Todd, says the sole objective of the aerial cull was to prevent further suffering in animals affected by the fire, and involved specialist staff working with experienced vets, wildlife carers and animal welfare experts. 'Due to direct impacts of the fire, the poor health and low likelihood of survival of many animals due to the ongoing drought conditions and lack of food post-fire, many of the animals are requiring euthanising.' 'This decision to employ this method was not taken lightly,' Todd says, noting that it was informed by an experienced veterinarian and leading wildlife welfare ethics experts. Other methods were deemed not appropriate given the 'extremely rugged terrain', the inability to safely access the area by foot, the remote location of animals high in the canopy, and safety risks from fire-affected trees, he says. 'The options were to just leave them to deteriorate or take proactive steps to reduce suffering by using aerial assessments.' Deakin University associate prof Desley Whisson, a wildlife ecologist who specialises in koala management, thinks it was a 'merciful, compassionate response' in the circumstances, and one made despite the repercussions. 'It's political suicide,' she says. 'It would have just been easier for them to walk away and not do anything.' 'This is quite a drastic response,' she says.' But if you've got helicopters flying over an area and you see hundreds of koalas that are burnt, or covered in fire retardant, or otherwise showing signs of distress, I think you would want to make a decision to put them out of their misery.' Palma says while the organisation would not like to see aerial killing of wildlife become the norm, euthanasia should be carried out using the approach that causes the least stress to the animal, as humanely as possible, and always be scrutinised. Todd says koalas were euthanised only after being individually assessed first, often at less than 30 metres, supported by use of binoculars and other optical aids. He says an initial aerial trial – supported by a ground-based veterinary assessment – demonstrated that aerial shooting was both accurate and humane. According to Todd, a wildlife vet's assessment during the trial 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'. While koalas in New South Wales, Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory are listed as endangered under federal laws, the situation in Victoria and South Australia is quite different, with too many koalas and not enough trees in many places. Rolf Schlagloth, a koala ecologist based at Central Queensland University with 20 years experience researching the animals in Victoria, says the legacy of koala management in Victoria since colonisation has meant that when fires do occur, the impacts are worse. He questions the effectiveness and accuracy of aerial culling and thinks a ground-based approach would have been preferable, albeit more expensive. But he emphasises that any emergency response is a Band-Aid solution that doesn't address the underlying landscape issues. 'The real issue is the lack of connectivity and failing to properly manage koala habitat and native vegetation.' In south-west Victoria, blue gum plantations have exacerbated the problems of insufficient and fragmented habitat that is too small for the number of koalas. Plantations were 'like a lolly shop' for koalas, Schlagloth says. So, the koalas move in, and then when their home is harvested, they go back to the native forest, but 'there's already koalas there and they can't disperse because there's farmland around.' 'So we've got this whole problem, and this koala overpopulation, or tree under population,' he says. Schlagloth says the state government now needs to take responsibility for the situation facing koalas in Victoria. 'The koala is a flagship species. If we can't solve the problems of the koala, what hope do other species have that don't have that profile.'
ABC News
21-04-2025
- Health
- ABC News
Wildlife carers want funding to help rising number of injured animals
In a shed at the back of Nikki Shanahan's Ballarat home, two bandaged koalas are curled up in enclosures while an injured wedge-tailed eagle moves around its cage restlessly. Inside the comfort of her living room, a baby wombat joey sits quietly, swaddled in a blanket. This is Shanhaven Wildlife: a shelter for native animals that doubles as a veterinary hospital where Ms Shanahan treats and rehabilitates critically sick and injured wildlife. But like many wildlife carers she is not only donating her time, expertise and property to the cause. She is also spending her own money. "I would spend roughly $10,000 a year on wildlife care, not including specialised equipment and shelter upgrades or repairs," she said. Ms Shanahan, who has a long career as a veterinarian nurse, said while grants were available for wildlife carers through the state environment department (DEECA), more direct funding was needed. "Yes, we can apply for grants, but the application process is longwinded," she said. "I haven't got time to sit down and write pages and pages of essays of information for funding." Carers down, injured animals up According Conservation Regulator data, the number of wildlife carers in Victoria has plummeted from 449 in 2019/20 to 172 last financial year. Wildlife Victoria reports having more than 1,300 registered volunteers. Ms Shanahan said out-of-pocket costs and a lack of government funding would dissuade many from joining the ranks. The number of wildlife injured in Victoria is on the rise. ( ABC Ballarat: Claudia Forsberg ) At the same time, Ms Shanahan said more native animals were being brought into vet clinics and wildlife shelters than ever before. Wildlife Victoria data backs this up — in 2020, its emergency response service received about 100,000 calls. Last year, it received more than 160,000, with over 97,000 native animals getting assistance. Photo shows a woman holds a lizard and smiles at the camera. Having a house filled with joeys or a backyard of native birds might sound wonderful, but there can be a darker side to caring for animals. Wildlife Victoria was not available for comment. Ms Shanahan said not all injured or sick animals could be looked at by professionals and that some were falling through the gaps due to a lack of available carers. "Very often [they] get left to die," she said. Trying to find a solution In Victoria, all wildlife shelters must be registered with DEECA. Individual carers are then registered to a shelter and work on a volunteer basis, with the option to register on Wildlife Victoria's database. DEECA did not respond to direct questions, but a spokesperson said its wildlife carers and volunteers "do incredible work in helping to respond, rehabilitate and care for our sick, injured and orphaned wildlife". The spokesperson also said the Victorian government was investing $7.2 million over the next four years to bolster wildlife welfare, including $4.7 million for a new wildlife hospital in Victoria's south-west run by Zoos Victoria. An orphaned brushtail possum is cared for by rescuers. ( ABC News: Sean Warren ) Vets under the pump Michelle Campbell-Ward is an Australian Veterinary Conservation Biology executive committee member and Wildlife Health Australia board member. She said wildlife care was not funded or resourced to the level society expected and that animal welfare needs were not being met. "This sector has been volunteer led for decades and veterinary hospitals are generally providing care to injured wildlife on a pro bono basis," Dr Campbell-Ward said. Michelle Campbell-Ward says carers need funding to meet expectations. ( Supplied: Taronga Western Plains Zoo ) "For wildlife carers it can be an expensive undertaking, particularly to do it well and to adhere to appropriate standards. "There's a need for increased funding and facilities and to recognise the importance of this work." Home base Photo shows A wombat joey sleeps surrounded by a pink blanket. Wildlife rescuers are calling on snow-goers to take extra care when driving to Victoria's alpine resorts amid a spike in wildlife casualties. Ms Shanahan and other wildlife rescuers and veterinary workers in Ballarat have created a not-for-profit organisation to raise funds and build a wildlife hospital in the regional centre. No hospital like this exists in regional Victoria and the project remains a way off completion. "It's a lot and also out of our own pocket, but we're hoping one day that changes," Ms Shanahan said. In the meantime, wildlife carers in Ballarat will continue to help with the care and rescue of animals in Ballarat and surrounding regional areas. "We are all trying our best to do what we're doing," she said. " It's a heartbreaking job but someone's got to do it. "
Yahoo
02-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Experts call for immediate changes to controversial 'hunt and kill' policy: 'This is a time to take proactive steps'
Following recent bushfires, Australian wildlife advocates are calling for an urgent pause on kangaroo harvesting in Victoria's Grampians region. Experts are divided on the best path forward to protect wildlife, The Guardian reported. Recent fires burned through 76,000 hectares of national park and farmland, raising concerns about the impact on native wildlife. The timing is particularly worrying, since Victoria just approved new harvest quotas that allow over 106,000 grey kangaroos to be culled annually — 32,000 in the affected areas. Should we be actively working to kill invasive species? Absolutely It depends on the species I don't know No — leave nature alone Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. The fires threaten both the immediate survival and long-term health of local wildlife populations. Holly Sitters, who studies fire impacts on mammals, told The Guardian that large, intense blazes pose serious risks: "Some animals are able to move out of the way of the fire, whereas others may become injured or killed. Then during the weeks and months following the fire, some animals will survive; others will struggle to find sufficient food." This situation builds on a history of destructive fires in the region since 2006. For context, similar fires during Black Summer killed an estimated 200,000 kangaroos and wallabies. Two approaches are under consideration. Wildlife Victoria wants to stop commercial harvesting until experts better understand the fires' effects. CEO Lisa Palma expressed concern about "the immediate and potential long-term impacts of the fire on kangaroo populations." However, some experts suggest controlled harvesting could help recovery. Euan Ritchie of Deakin University explained that kangaroo populations can spike after fires in the absence of natural predators such as dingoes, especially in wet conditions. This can lead to overgrazing that hurts native vegetation other animals need. The state's environment department engaged in wildlife response efforts, including delivering emergency food packages to endangered southern rock wallabies. Meanwhile, Sitters urged immediate action, saying, "I think this is a time to take proactive steps to protect kangaroos from threats and ensure that future generations can enjoy seeing kangaroos in our landscapes." Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
The Guardian
14-02-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Labor gifts duck hunters longer shooting season in Victoria, allows 50% more birds to be killed
Wetland bird hunters in Victoria will have a longer duck shooting season and can take home more birds under new rules. The Victorian duck hunting season will begin on 19 March and run for 83 days until 9 June, up from 56 days in 2024. Hunters can bag nine ducks a day, up from six, with seven duck species allowed. But the blue-winged shoveler is off the list this season, and lead shot cannot be used for quail hunting. New shooters seeking a licence must undergo online training, including Aboriginal cultural awareness training, as part of promised safety and sustainability measures. Outdoor recreation minister, Steve Dimopoulos, said duck hunting was a legitimate activity that could be done sustainably and responsibly. 'Our wounding reduction action plan will improve animal welfare and is a significant step to make sure recreational hunting can continue sustainably in Victoria,' he said. But Victorian Animal Justice Party MP Georgie Purcell slammed the government over the 'most reckless season' in over a decade. Purcell said the decision to go through with another duck hunting season would condemn 400,000 native waterbirds to 'ruthless' slaughter. 'This is an unpopular decision by an unpopular premier who continuously cowers to the shooting and gun lobby,' she said. Waterbird populations have dropped almost 50% in the past year due to drought conditions, according to the Eastern Australian Waterbird Survey. An estimated 391,900 ducks were hunted in the state in 2024, about 22 per cent higher than average, Game Management Authority figures show, despite bag limits and a shortened season. More than 455,000 stubble quails were harvested – almost triple the long-term average. Those figures followed the Victorian government ignoring a parliamentary inquiry which recommended a ban on duck hunting in 2023. Instead of a total ban, the government in 2024 shortened the season, implemented a bag limit of six a day and pledged to introduce adaptive harvest management, hunter education and training and waterfowl wounding reduction measures. Wildlife Victoria criticised the state government's 2025 move, calling for 'the abolishment of duck hunting in Victoria'. 'This has gone on for far too long,' the group said in a statement. 'The ignoring of the recommendations of the 2023 inquiry is completely reckless and has ignored the overwhelming majority of Victorians who want to see this practice banned.' Duck hunting has long been banned in Western Australia, New South Wales and Queensland.
