<
https://theconversation.com/sniping-koalas-from-helicopters-heres-whats-wrong-with-victorias-unprecedented-cull-254996>
"Snipers in helicopters have shot more than 700 koalas in the Budj Bim National
Park in western Victoria in recent weeks. It’s believed to be the first time
koalas have been culled in this way.
The cull became public on Good Friday after local wildlife carers were
reportedly tipped off.
A fire burned about 20% of the park in mid-March. The government said the cull
was urgent because koalas had been left starving or burned.
Wildlife groups have expressed serious concern about how individual koalas had
been chosen for culling, because the animals are assessed from a distance. It’s
not clear how shooting from a helicopter complies with the state government’s
own animal welfare and response plans for wildlife in disasters.
The Victorian government must explain why it is undertaking aerial culling and
why it did so without announcing it publicly. The incident points to ongoing
failures in managing these iconic marsupials, which are already threatened in
other states."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
