Nearly 700 koalas were killed in Australiaʼs Boogie Beam National Park last week. Animal activists say they were shot at from helicopters, killing healthy animals as well as sick ones. As a result, many baby koalas were orphaned.
The New York Post writes about this.
The culling of koalas began after massive bushfires destroyed more than 2,000 hectares of their habitat. Authorities began the operation in April to end the suffering of the animals, who were exhausted, dehydrated or injured by the fires.
However, the way they did it — shooting from helicopters — has drawn sharp criticism. Environmentalists and animal rights activists say that from such a height it is very difficult, if not impossible, to recognize whether an animal is truly sick. This means that healthy koalas could have been killed along with the wounded.
Environmental group Friends of the Earth Melbourne says shooting animals from a helicopter is an extreme measure that has never been used before in Australia. It is the first time animals have been killed from the air, which animal rights activists say sets a dangerous ethical precedent.
Activists also emphasize that the territory of the national park was closed after the fires. That is, rescuers were not able to get there to save the cubs who were left without their mothers. If adult koalas were killed while they were sitting in trees, many babies ended up alone and are now doomed to suffering and death, according to the animal protection organization Koala Alliance.
In addition to criticizing the shooting method itself, animal advocates are demanding that the Victorian state authorities stop cutting down healthy eucalyptus trees nearby, as these trees are the main source of food and shelter for koalas.
Despite the public outcry, the government has said it acted on veterinary advice. Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan said the move was to end the suffering of koalas.
- The Australian Koala Conservation Foundation said in September 2021 that nearly 30% of Australiaʼs koalas have died since 2018 due to bushfires, drought and land clearing. In addition, the koala population in Australia is threatened by the recent spread of chlamydia, a sexually transmitted disease that can cause blindness and cysts in the animalʼs reproductive tract, which can lead to infertility or even death.
- In 2022, Australia listed the koala as an endangered species along much of its east coast.
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