Three months after the Victorian government authorised the shooting of over 1,000 koalas from helicopters in Budj Bim National Park, the controversy is only intensifying.
What began as a response to a bushfire that devastated the koalas’ habitat has now become a national—and international—flashpoint, with critics demanding transparency and answers about how and why such a drastic measure was taken.
The government’s justification for the operation is, at best, contentious.
According to John Bradley, secretary of the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA), the decision to use aerial shooters was based on a peer-reviewed veterinary plan.
This plan, he claims, determined that shooting koalas from helicopters was the most ‘humane’ way to prevent suffering among animals left stranded and injured by the fire.
But not everyone is convinced. During a heated budget estimates session, Liberal Deputy Chair Nick McGowan didn’t mince words, calling the explanation ‘gobbledygook’ and ‘medieval’.
He questioned how anyone could make a split-second, compassionate assessment of a koala’s condition from a helicopter, let alone ensure a quick and painless death.
‘How anyone with a shotgun from a helicopter can make these kinds of split-second assessments in killing and culling koalas seems to me somewhat barbaric,’ he said.
Environment Minister Steve Dimopoulos defended the approach, citing the park’s treacherous terrain and the risk of falling trees.
He explained that only 13 per cent of Budj Bim was accessible on foot, making ground-based health checks dangerous and impractical.
‘You could get a better view of a koala from a helicopter because they’re at the top of the tree, than you could at the bottom of the undulating ground looking up at the tree canopy,’ Dimopoulos argued.
But critics, including McGowan, weren’t buying it. ‘It’s not Mount Everest we’re talking about here,’ he retorted, highlighting the disconnect between the government’s rationale and public perception.
A grim tally
The operation’s scale is staggering. Of the 2,219 koalas assessed, 1,091 were examined from the ground and 1,128 from the air.
In total, 1,061 koalas—nearly half—were euthanised. Of those shot from helicopters, only 14 bodies were recovered, raising further questions about the accuracy and aftermath of the operation. Just one koala was taken into care for treatment.
DEECA maintains that the operation was a success, claiming it spared suffering for koalas that would otherwise have died slowly from fire-related injuries or starvation.
But the lack of transparency—and the government’s refusal to release the complete veterinary reports and operational data—has only fuelled suspicion.
Ordinarily, peer-reviewed research and operational reports would be made public, especially for a world-first operation of this magnitude.
However, three months later, the Victorian government dodged repeated requests to release the documents that justified the aerial cull.
Wildlife advocates and politicians are demanding independent scrutiny, fearing that this operation’s ‘success’ could set a dangerous precedent for future aerial culling of wildlife.
The bigger picture
While koalas are endangered in Queensland, the Australian Capital Territory, and New South Wales, Victoria’s population is considered ‘abundant’ in some areas.
Overpopulation in places like Budj Bim is cited as a problem, with koalas already ‘stressed’ even before the fires.
But experts point to a deeper issue: the logging of surrounding eucalypt plantations. As trees are felled, displaced koalas are forced into the national park, compounding the stress on the ecosystem.
After the cull, wildlife advocates called for a halt to timber harvesting in the area, arguing that habitat loss is the root cause of the crisis.
The government has yet to commit to such a move, and more than 5,000 people have signed a petition calling for an inquiry into the bluegum industry and its impact on koalas.
A national and international outcry
The story has made headlines around the world, with images of koalas being shot from helicopters sparking outrage and heartbreak.
For many, the idea of ‘euthanising’—or, as some call it, ‘culling’—one of Australia’s most beloved animals in such a manner is unthinkable.
Yet, the government insists it was the only viable option. The question remains: could more have been done to prevent this tragedy? And what will be done to ensure it never happens again?
What do you think? Was the government justified in its actions, or should more have been done to protect the koalas of Budj Bim? Should the documents behind the decision be released for public scrutiny? And what steps should be taken to prevent similar tragedies in the future?
Share your views in the comments below—your voice matters in shaping the future of Australia’s wildlife.
Also read: ‘About time’: Major change on Australian roads to save wildlife is underway
I’m writing from Italy, I express my utter shock, dismay and horror at the aerial culling of over 1000 koalas in Budj Bim National Park last March/April in Victoria. This tragic news has gone around the world, Italian, European, Asian media such as India and Japan, the United States have reported the news unlike the major Australian media who have remained silent. The aerial Koala culling was a cruel, inhumane act never before even though the culling of koalas is not the first time it has happened in Victoria. There are many questions that need to be answered and we absolutely do not believe that the culling was done for the well-being of the koalas. There is a long and sad history for Victoria’s koalas who live on the blue gum plantations. These poor koalas after the plantations are harvested are left with only 9 trees for each koala and then those are cut down too when the koalas move . How can they survive??? The aerial culling is not the solution! It is cruel and inhumane and we overseas want the truth! The Government must show all documents and reports related to this tragedy that must never happen again. Koalas are the most loved Australian Icons in the world. They deserve protection, not horribly culled.
The world is watching in horror!
Yours sincerely.
Paola Torti
Thank you Leanne for this excellent article. There are a few points that are worth clarifying.
Firstly, the whole ” Medieval” action was covered up so carefully by the department. They attempted to kill all the koalas without anyone knowing at all. Those questioning why parts of the park were suddenly off limits, why so many choppers were flying, long after fire was marked off emergency vic website as ” safe”, and ” where have all the koalas gone?” were threatened and abused. It was only threats of FOI that got a response at all from the dept! Then they came up with this MYTH, this utter FICTION, of ” catastrophic fire” and ” immense suffering”, of ” necessary euthanasia”. To be clear, killing HEALTHY, uninjured animals is NOT EUTHANASIA!
My concern is not with how many were killed, it is with the fact they were killed under false pretences! This dept LIED barefaced to the public when they claimed koalas were ” suffering” and the ” only humane option is euthanasia”. They lied outright to the public when they claimed Aerial Slaughter was the only option due to terrain. Not only has photographic evidence from independent sources, including FoE, Paul Hilton, and others, shown that the fire was NOT catastrophic, the terrain IS accessible to ground crews, and there is plenty of koala habitat remaining, but the dept’s own statements contradict themselves.
If the koalas really HAD been burnt in the fire back in early March, no way would they be still alive when the shooting campaign started! They claimed at one pont that they couldn’t access ground at all, but when asked about orphaned joeys, they claimed ground crews were checking them! Can’t have it both ways – either ground IS accessible or it’s not. WHY has this basic logical flaw not been focused on? WHY has media focused on the method of ” euthanasia” chosen, instead of the clear signs it was NOT EUTHANASIA AT ALL, because the koalas were NOT suffering! This whole dept story is a cover up for a CULL, that can be used as a test case for FUTURE AERIAL CULLING. If the people accept shooting koalas from choppers, then NOBODY IS SAFE. Which inconveniently located population, standing in the way of industry profits or developer plans, will be next? Will this ” medieval solution” be applied to anyone whose presence is in the way of profits? Is our state government’s solution to problem of overcrowding due to lack of homes available, to ” reduce population” by KILLING EVERYONE? If they do this to a globally beloved icon, the number one symbol of Australia, they’ll do it anyone! And they will LIE about it, and fools will just believe it, without a shred of evidence.
Not one photo of ” suffering, burnt” koalas did DEECA present to prove their euthanasia claims. Not one! They claimed veterinary teams were involved, but refused to name them. They claimed a ” local expert wildlife carer” was consulted/ working with them, but refused to name her. They stated they had a ” Wildlife expert” advising /assisting them, but again, refused to give a name. How can the public be expected to believe the word of faceless, nameless, experts? Do they even exist, or are they a creation of somene at the department’s fertile imagination? If they are real people, why can’t they be named and held accountable by the public for their involvement? Could it be, that these ” koala carers” and ” koala experts” are ASHAMED? Or are they worried their donors would be appalled and stop supporting them if they knew the truth? If these people do exist, as DEECA claims, if they truly believe they acted in the best interests of the koalas, why would they not OWN IT and stand by their decisions? Why not stand up and say, “Yes, I did it because…”?
This whole medieval fable goes beyond a total lack of transparency or integrity – it is a massive COVER UP and a conspiracy between major industrial powers and the state government and the bureaucracy that serves them – when as public servants, they are meant to serve the public, the same public they continously lie to.
I believe all the persons involved in this insane “cull” should be held accountable and charged with animal cruelty, starting with the State Government. I believe the timber industry is complicit in the government’s action in order to acquire more trees.