700 Koalas Shot by Helicopters After Budj Bim Bushfire Crisis

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Victorian authorities shot approximately 700 koalas from helicopters in Budj Bim National Park, marking what critics call Australia's first aerial cull of the iconic marsupial.

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The controversial decision followed a bushfire that destroyed 2,200 hectares of the park, including crucial manna gum trees that serve as the koalas' primary food source.

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Premier Jacinta Allan defended the aerial shooting as necessary relief for animals suffering from starvation and injuries after their habitat burned in the recent blaze.

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Wildlife advocates slam the cull method, arguing it's impossible to properly assess koala health or check for dependent joeys from helicopter height.

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Government officials claim each koala was individually assessed from distances under 30 meters, using binoculars before marksmen took their shots.

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Unlike their endangered status elsewhere in Australia, Victoria hosts roughly 450,000 koalas, with some areas experiencing what officials term "unsustainable densities.

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The controversial cull exposes deeper management failures, including the cycle of koalas flocking to blue gum plantations before facing starvation when these trees are harvested.

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Animal Justice Party MP Georgie Purcell raised alarm about orphaned joeys, stating "no efforts are being made to check for pouch-young" during the aerial operation.

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Some experts support the government's approach, with wildlife ecologist Desley Whisson calling it a "merciful, compassionate response" despite its political unpopularity.

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Koala ecologist Rolf Schlagloth warns that emergency culls won't solve the fundamental issue of poor habitat connectivity and management across Victoria.

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