Hundreds of Koalas Killed in Controversial Aerial Cull in Victoria, Australia

In Victoria, Australia, between 600 and 700 koalas were killed in Budj Bim National Park through an aerial cull conducted by shooting the marsupials from helicopters. The operation was deemed necessary by officials in response to the suffering caused by a recent bushfire that destroyed much of the koalas' food supply. While wildlife advocates criticized the method's accuracy and raised concerns about orphaned joeys, the government cited the rugged terrain and risk of falling trees as reasons for not using alternative rescue or euthanasia methods.

Animal protection organizations have called for an independent review of the government's handling of the situation and urged the Victorian government to stop logging healthy eucalyptus trees on adjacent plantations to provide food and shelter for surviving koalas. They questioned why supplementary feeding, such as providing fresh gum leaves, was not considered as an alternative to culling.