June 13, 2025, 10:50 am | Read time: 4 minutes
A drastic measure in Australia is causing worldwide outrage: Over 700 koalas have been shot from helicopters in a remote national park in Victoria in recent weeks. Why was this action taken, and could it have been prevented?
After a devastating fire in Budj Bim National Park, the regional government of Victoria resorted to a last-ditch measure to end the suffering of koalas. Following the catastrophic blaze, more than 700 koalas have been culled. But was this action truly unavoidable? While the government describes it as a necessary, “compassionate” decision to protect the animals, the approach raises serious questions about animal welfare and crisis management.
First Known Aerial Culling of Koalas
On Good Friday 2025, several English-language media outlets reported that snipers from helicopters killed more than 700 koalas in Budj Bim National Park. It is likely the first time these animals have been killed in this manner. According to reports from sources such as “Sky News Australia,” local wildlife advocates were informed about the operation.
A fire had already destroyed about 20 percent of the park by mid-March. The government stated that intervention was urgent because many koalas were either severely injured or threatened by starvation.
Wildlife protection organizations expressed significant concerns about the method: The assessment of individual animals was done from a distance. “It is unclear how shooting from helicopters aligns with the state’s own animal welfare and disaster plans,” the criticism noted, as reported by the science journalism portal “The Conversation.”
Animal Welfare and Aerial Culling – Australia’s Ambivalent Relationship with Nature
The practice of shooting animals from the air is not new in Australia. In 2024, the continent “down under” sparked global outrage with the decision to shoot up to 16,000 feral horses, also known as “Brumbies,” from helicopters (PETBOOK reported). Camels have also been declared a pest and shot, and cats have been targeted with special poison dispensers to prevent them from hunting native wildlife.
However, these animals are immigrants, not native to Australia’s fauna. So why start culling marsupials now? The Australian government had committed in 2022 to protect its key species with the “Saving Native Species” program. Saving Australia’s animals would require billions annually. Against this backdrop, the local government’s decision leaves many animal advocates speechless.
Culled Koalas Were “in Great Distress”
For the first time in Victoria’s history, wild animals were killed from the air, and not to combat invasive species. The government stated that the culling was conducted to prevent further suffering of animals affected by the fire.
Victoria’s Premier, Jacinta Allan, defended the decision to shoot the koalas, saying it was made after “extensive assessments.”
Missed Shots and Orphaned Joeys
However, Jess Robertson, president of the Koala Alliance, disagreed. She noted that while euthanasia might be the only option for koalas with life-threatening burns and no access to food and water, the method used was problematic.
Georgie Purcell, a member of the Animal Justice Party, commented on her Instagram that she was aware that euthanasia might sometimes be the only option for koalas that have life-threatening burns and lack access to food and water.
However, she pointed out that a missed shot could cause further harm to the animal. Additionally, the so-called “pouch checks”—checking if a koala has a joey—cannot be done from a helicopter.
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Could the Koalas Have Been Relocated Instead of Culled?
Victoria’s animal welfare plan actually provides for alternatives such as supplying additional food in disaster situations. Distributing fresh food, like eucalyptus leaves, could have potentially prevented the need for culling while the koalas’ ecosystem recovered.
However, this approach also presents a challenge: Koalas are very territorial. Young koalas, or joeys, receive leaves from their mothers and develop immunity to a specific type of eucalyptus over time. Adult koalas would likely shy away from the “wrong” type of eucalyptus rather than eat it.