Australia faces backlash over shooting of more than 700 koalas

This unprecedented aerial culling, conducted by Victoria’s Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA), has sparked intense debate among wildlife advocates, politicians, and the general public.

The Victorian government claims the cull was necessary on animal welfare grounds. Many koalas were reportedly injured, dehydrated, or starving after the fire ravaged their habitat. Premier Jacinta Allan defended the operation, stating it followed “extensive assessments” and targeted only those koalas in significant distress. According to DEECA, the rugged and fire-damaged terrain made it impossible to reach the animals on foot, leaving aerial shooting as the only viable option.

However, wildlife groups and MPs have raised serious concerns about the method and the lack of transparency surrounding the operation. Aerial culling of koalas is believed to be the first of its kind in Victoria, and critics question how accurate assessments of individual animals could be made from approximately 30 meters in the air. Jess Robertson, president of the Koala Alliance, argued that it is nearly impossible to evaluate an animal’s condition from such a height. Moreover, there are concerns that some animals may have been seriously injured but not killed, and that it was impossible to check whether euthanized females had pouch young.

Budj Bim National Park is known as a “habitat island”—a remnant of bushland surrounded by commercial blue gum plantations. While the park hosts a stable koala population, their high density often leads to over-browsing and starvation. When nearby plantations are logged, displaced koalas frequently return to the park, placing additional pressure on already limited resources.

Animal welfare experts have also questioned why the government did not consider alternatives such as relocation, sterilization, or supplementary feeding with fresh eucalyptus leaves to support the koalas until the habitat recovers. Though more labor-intensive, such measures are outlined in Victoria’s own wildlife disaster response strategies.

Critics argue that the secrecy surrounding the cull reflects deeper systemic issues in how koala populations are managed in Victoria. The state faces growing pressure to reform its approach by improving habitat protection, establishing wildlife corridors to reduce overcrowding, and ensuring consistent consultation with Traditional Owners (i.e., the original Indigenous custodians of the land), who possess extensive ecological knowledge of the region.

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