Environmentalists Criticise Victoria’s Decision to Cull Up to 750 Koalas

Up to 750 koalas shot after a devastating bushfire ripped through Budj Bim National Park.

A baby koala is seen at Wild Life Sydney Zoo in Sydney, Australia, on Oct. 14, 2021. Mark Evans/Getty Images

As the ash settles over Budj Bim National Park in western Victoria, a controversial operation to cull up to 750 koalas has sparked outrage among wildlife advocates.

Helicopter-based snipers have been deployed over the past month to euthanise koalas left injured, starving, or dehydrated after a bushfire tore through over 2,200 hectares of bushland.