Kangaroo Island Mayor Michael Pengilly tells FIVEaa he’s faced a flood over death threats over koala footage

The Kangaroo Island mayor told Adelaide radio a flood of violent messages had followed 7NEWS’ airing of shocking footage on Monday.

Mayor of Kangaroo Island, Michael Pengilly told FIVEaa. Picture: Matt Loxton

The Kangaroo Island Mayor says he has been flooded with death threats and labelled a “koala killer” after 7NEWS aired shocking footage wildlife advocates say shows the toll of blue gum logging in the region.

Mayor Michael Pengilly said he had been inundated with messages from anonymous contacts since Monday evening.

“I’ve had all sort of people messaging me and telling me how I should die,” he told The Advertiser.

“I’ve had people say I should climb up a tree and fall out of it – the same as a koala – and there was one which said ‘we’re coming to get you’.

“Now I normally don’t worry about things like this as nowadays everyone just hides behind their screen.”

Mr Pengilly said other KI council members have also been threatened.

But while he said he has decided against reporting the messages to police, the KI Council CEO would be going to the authorities.

It comes after wildlife campaigners claimed hundreds of koalas were being killed on Kangaroo Island as loggers wiped out hectares of unwanted blue gum trees.

7NEWS aired shocking footage on its Monday bulletin showing koalas clinging onto branches as the trees slowly fell.

7NEWS also revealed the government had been warned a risk to koalas, late last year.

“We received correspondence from the island that there was a risk to koala’s with the very rapid filling of timber by KI lands,” Environment Minister, Susan Close said.

Inspects were sent to investigate the issue but allegedly came back with no findings.

“If you don’t as for the evidence, how can you call that an investigation,” Wildlife campaigner, Katie Welz told 7News.

Katie Welz, who works at the Kangaroo Island Wildlife Network told The Advertiser the trees provided much-needed habitat for koalas in the west end of the island.

“I feel really distraught because this is my community where I live and to see animal welfare being ignored in our own backyard, that is just unacceptable,” Ms Welz said.

Ms Welz said her main objective was to collaborate with the government and the loggers to remove the tress without causing inflicting reckless deaths on the wildlife.

“We just want to sit down with the government (Department of Environment and Water) and with the logging company and nut out some better mitigation strategies,” she said.

“We’ve been trying to contact the government consistently and regularly for the last six months and the responses we’ve gotten are so unbelievably obtuse.”

Ms Welz said she proposed an independent authority representing animal interests’ to be employed on the island.

A koala clings to a tree around others that have been cut down. Picture: 7NEWS

The footage shows the koalas running up the trees. Picture: 7NEWS

However, Mr Pengilly defended the loggers on Monday night.

He said the loggers were hiring spotters to ensure koalas weren’t in the trees they cut down.

“They are using infra-red technology … and leave eight trees around the tree that koalas are located in,” he said.

“They’re doing everything they can to save them.”

Mr Pengilly said another property containing blue gums had been earmarked to serve as a safe haven for the displaced koalas for at least five years.

“(That) blue gum property will be the last to be harvested, so the koalas have a safe place to go,” he said.

“They’ll be safe from any action for five to six years.”

A spokesman from the Australian Agribusiness Group, the company conducting the logging, told 7NEWS they were doing their best to save the animals.

“(We are) providing the highest possible level of protection to the local animal population,” they said.

The Advertiser has contacted Australian Agribusiness Group Monday night.

Opposition Leader David Speirs said the incident has affected tourism to Kangaroo Island.

“People are logging on to their travel websites across the world and cancelling trips to South Australia, cancelling trips to Kangaroo Island,” Mr Speirs said.

Originally published as Kangaroo Island Mayor Michael Pengilly tells FIVEaa he’s faced a flood over death threats over koala footage