Reports vary, but it is estimated that between 600 and 700 (and even more) koalas have been “euthanized” in the Budj Bim National Park in southwest Victoria. Authorities say the move comes after a lightning-caused fire destroyed about 2000 hectares of koala habitat. With a lack of food and water, it was feared the remaining koalas would die of hunger and thirst. The koalas were killed from helicopters using snipers. This is the first time this method has been used in Australia to control the koala population, and it has caused significant ethical controversy.
Animal rights groups have strongly condemned the move, calling it cruel and unnecessary. They say it is not possible to accurately assess the health of the koalas from a helicopter and that there were more humane ways to help the animals, such as providing them with food and water or relocating them to another location. Victoria’s Premier, Jacinta Allan, defended the government’s decision, saying the koalas were severely injured and under great stress after the fires, and that this measure was necessary to end their suffering.
The killing of such a large number of koalas is extremely concerning and raises many questions about the effectiveness and ethics of environmental protection measures in Australia. They should try to feed those animals, to help them, that country is not some third-class country ruled by tyrant, that supposed to be democracy, and their government should know better than using snipers and shooting from helicopter, killing hundreds of animals, like in video game.
More about this disturbing and shameful event can be read here, many news worldwide covered it, here are some examples:
https://www.melbournefoe.org.au/hundreds_of_koalas_killed_in_south_west_victoria
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/3/4/hundreds-of-koalas-killed-in-australia
