Shooters riding in helicopters to euthanise injured and starving koalas was officials’ only “appropriate” course of action after the animals were ravaged by bushfire, Victoria’s chief biodiversity officer says.
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan has supported the state’s environment department after an animal welfare group highlighted the use of shooters in helicopters to cull bushfire-affected koalas.
Bushfire-affected koalas are being culled in south-west Victoria. Credit: Getty Images
South-west Victoria’s Budj Bim world heritage area was closed to visitors and campers after lightning started a bushfire in the park in early March.
Fire burnt 2200 hectares of the national park, scorching the habitat and food sources for the hundreds of koalas that call Budj Bim home. A large area of manna gum canopy, one of the main sources of food for koalas in the park, was destroyed.
Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action chief biodiversity officer James Todd said ground crews were doing what they could to care for “as much wildlife as possible”.
However, the fire, combined with drought and a lack of food in the aftermath of the blaze, left many animals in a critical condition, he said.
Mount Eccles Budj Bim National Park near Macarthur.Credit: Damian White
“Every effort is being made to assess and where possible rehabilitate wildlife. Euthanasia in a poor welfare state was a carefully considered decision, aligned with animal welfare principles and expert guidance,” Todd said in a statement.
“All other methods were not appropriate given the inability to safely access large areas of impacted landscape by foot.
“This is due to the remote location of animals often high in the canopy, the extremely rugged terrain, and in consideration of the safety risks of working in a fire -affected area, with fire impacted trees.”
Trained department staff, Gunditj Mirring Traditional Owners, wildlife emergency support and a wildlife veterinarian were searching for, assessing and treating wildlife.
Chief of Wildlife Victoria charity group Lisa Palma said the department first disclosed its strategy about three weeks ago.
She said not intervening would have been terrible for the koalas, as they would have starved to death over a number of weeks due to habitat loss, some of them while seriously injured.
But Palma also said Wildlife Victoria did not want aerial culling to become the norm.
“Whatever method of euthanasia is utilised [should be] done in the most humane way possible… with the appropriate oversight of experienced wildlife veterinarians,” she said.
“Our preference would always be that wildlife deemed viable are placed into rehabilitation to at least give them a chance. Albeit it was very apparent that a number of the koalas had their welfare significantly compromised as a result of the bushfires.”
On Wednesday, advocacy body the Koala Alliance shared on social media images of helicopters circling the park.
Asked on Friday whether her government supported the culling method, Allan said the koalas were “severely injured and under a lot of distress”.
“I’m advised the department undertook extensive assessments in the context of a bushfire that went through this local community started by lighting strike,” she said.
“After an examination of the circumstances, this approach was deemed the way to really recognise the koalas were in a lot of distress.
“That’s the advice I’ve received, and in terms of those assessments, they are made by wildlife experts.”
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