Due to the large fire that destroyed Budj Bim National Park and thus made it difficult for koalas to survive, the state government in Victoria is carrying out 'euthanasia' on these animals. More than 700 koalas were killed by a sniper from a helicopter
About 600-700 koalas were euthanized after a lightning strike broke out fire in the national park Budj Bim u Australia, YahooNews reported on Tuesday (April 15th).
DEECA (Department for Energy, Environment and Climate Action) has decided that due to fires, overpopulation, drought and lack of food, the surviving koalas should be shot from a helicopter, as the forest fires have destroyed more than 2.000 hectares of habitat, leaving the koalas hungry, dehydrated and injured.
According to Friends of the Earth Melbourne, the aerial shooting of koalas has never happened before and this is the latest koala horror story from the region, which includes numerous koala shooting events over the past two decades.
Animal health is assessed by a veterinarian from a helicopter, who observes the koala's health from as far as 30 meters away, Friends of the Earth Melbourne reports, adding that two government-contracted helicopters were spotted flying over the national park.
DEECA claims that the helicopter's distance from the ground is so high because Budj Bim is an old volcano with rocky terrain, and access is difficult.
Koala apocalypse now.
A massive bushfire has destroyed thousands of acres of a national park, leaving koalas burned, thirsty & starving.
So over 700 have been shot from helicopters, some with joeys in pouch, some healthy; it's hard to tell from the air.
ðŸ§μ pic.twitter.com/6i7Bwig69E
— Dr Tom Montgomery (@DrTOMontgomery) April 19, 2025
Reaction to the authorities' decision to carry out euthanasia
Animal protection groups reacted violently to the inhumane move of killing koalas.
Activists are demanding an independent review of the government's actions and are expressing deep concern for the cubs, who believe their mothers were killed by a sniper.
The authorities announced that euthanasia was necessary to prevent the suffering of these animals, but it was their method, shooting from the air, that deeply disturbed the public around the world.
Wildlife advocacy groups have argued that assessing koala health from the air is unreliable, Friends of the Earth Melbourne say, and are deeply concerned about the way koala health can be assessed from 30 meters away, with an increased risk of accidentally killing healthy koalas, including females with cubs.
"The use of aerial gunfire should be treated as a last resort," Friends of the Earth Melbourne said, calling for the cull to be paused.
National parks in Australia routinely shoot big bucks and deer to control their population, which is not the case with koalas.
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan defended the government's policy, saying the koalas were "severely injured and under a lot of stress", reports B92.
She added that extensive assessments of the situation were carried out in the context of the forest fire that engulfed the area.
However, koala researchers claim it is another example of "mismanagement of the species and its habitat".
Budj Bim
The backbone of Budj Bim National Park is made up of eucalyptus plantations, which koalas used to feed on.
When the eucalyptus was harvested, the koalas that lived in those plantations moved to Budj Bim, using only what the natural forests of that national park offered them, reports Vox, adding that the fire only worsens the situation, destroying the remaining food in the koala-populated region.
Locals recalled the recent felling of hundreds of hectares of eucalyptus plantations. A large number of animals have moved into Budj Bim since logging and fires in 2019/2020, reports Vox.
Koala Alliance reaction on Facebook
The Koala Alliance also reacted to the news about the killing of animals.
"This is an unfolding environmental and cultural tragedy. These koalas are victims not only of fires, but of decades of mismanagement, deforestation and broken promises," association members wrote on Facebook, adding that "Budj Beam - a UNESCO World Heritage Site - should be a sanctuary. Instead, it has become a killing field."
As reported on the Facebook page, "the killing continues."
Only the court can determine who caused injuries to whom, said lawyer Edvin S. Prelić, reacting to the claims of the Kreni-promeni movement that Aelksandar Šapić caused serious physical injuries to councilor Tatjana Mićić
The student plan calls for six months of voluntary military service, better conditions for members of the military, investment in equipment and the defense industry, an investigation into early deaths and numerous other changes.
The student list is asking for an investigation into the origin of the fake document, which threatens with the confiscation of pensions and prison sentences. The Ministry of Finance confirmed that the statements in the document are false
The students in the blockade of DUNP reported to the disciplinary prosecutor two Novi Pazar judges for attending the SNS pre-election rally. They say that such behavior undermines the independence of the judiciary
Consultations are being held in the House of the National Assembly on Friday before the constitution of the new convocation
At the moment when the institutions of the Republic are destroyed, when Vučić's octopus is still alive, when people are disgusted by the injustice and the stench left behind by the Essenes regime, we have, as Machiavelli said, only civic virtue as the fuel with which we can return to the beginning
The four independent members of REM are an example of perseverance and civic responsibility. Rodoljub Šabić even, upon leaving the premises of REM, after the sentencing of the Informer, experienced that the Essenes insulted him, hit him with their hands and feet. But that too will soon be over
Vučić pardoned the batterers and Dijana Hrkalović. The election winners should abolish the sultan's power that allows one man to run afoul of the entire judicial system
Interview: Branko Stamenković, public prosecutor of the Supreme Public Prosecutor's Office
A black picture and the breakdown of the rule of law subscribeThe archive of the weekly Vreme includes all our digital editions, since the very beginning of our work. All issues can be downloaded in PDF format, by purchasing the digital edition, or you can read all available texts from the selected issue.
See all
