Australian Victoria have sparked an outcry over the mass culling of koalas. About 750 koalas have been killed in a Sky News Cull by Victoria helicopters in the BUSHBIM national park since the start of this month, Australian authorities said. The move was strongly protested by animal protection groups, who questioned the lack of scientific basis for the government’s action and expressed concern about the large number of koala cubs being orphaned.
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The Cull was sparked by a wildfire that destroyed more than 2,000 hectares of the koala’s habitat, the report said. After the fire, the surviving koalas were left stranded by food shortages, dehydration and injuries. The Victoria Government’s decision to shoot the koalas at high altitude, after initially saying it would“Euthanise” the animals to avoid continued suffering on the advice of veterinary experts, caused a public outcry.
Animal rights groups say that judging the health of koalas from high altitude is highly unreliable and could lead to the killing of healthy individuals or even pregnant koalas, leaving the Cubs orphaned. Organizations such as the Australian animal legal defense fund have stressed that“Aerial culling should be a last resort.” Animal protection groups have demanded that the Victorian authorities immediately suspend the culling, independent veterinarians and scientists are allowed to monitor the park. However, the area has so far been inaccessible to rescue teams because it is classified as a“Fire affected area”.
In response to the criticism, Victoria Governor Jacinta Allen said the cull had been carefully assessed and that it was“A necessary measure to alleviate the suffering of animals”.