Francesca Biagioli In Australia, more than 700 koalas have been brutally shot down by helicopters: an action that has left many cubs orphaned and, obviously, has generated general indignation
@Koala Alliance
In the state of Victoria, Australia, a devastating and largely underreported slaughter is taking place. Over the past few weeks, more than 700 koalas—a species officially listed as endangered since 2022—have been shot dead from helicopters by government-commissioned snipers. The official reason? To alleviate the suffering of injured and starving animals following wildfires that ravaged over 5,000 acres of natural habitat.
But according to local organizations, the truth is far more disturbing.
The operation was necessary to ease the animals’ suffering
According to the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA), the mass culling was essential to relieve suffering in koalas left critically injured or malnourished by the fires. Premier Jacinta Allan, in an interview with Sky News Australia, defended the move, saying the animals targeted were already in dire condition and unlikely to survive.
Yet the method itself has come under heavy criticism. Shooting from a moving aircraft raises serious ethical and logistical concerns. “How can anyone accurately assess a koala’s condition from a helicopter?” activists ask. Reports from the ground claim that healthy animals, including mothers carrying babies, were mistakenly shot and killed.
Orphaned Joeys left to die
The accounts emerging from field NGOs are heartbreaking. Joeys—baby koalas—are being left to starve or freeze after their mothers are killed. Koala Alliance called the operation “unacceptably cruel,” pointing to multiple cases of orphaned young abandoned in the wilderness.
What makes the situation even worse is that rescue teams have been blocked from entering the impacted zones. Roads have been shut down, surveillance systems installed, and no independent observers have been allowed to assess the reality on-site. Friends of the Earth Melbourne condemned the lack of transparency, demanding an immediate halt to the killings and a third-party review of the government’s actions.
First-ever aerial cull sets a dangerous precedent
This marks the first time in history that koalas have been killed via aerial shooting in Australia. Activists warn that this could set a dangerous precedent. Koalas are already listed as endangered in multiple regions, including Queensland and New South Wales. Yet instead of prioritizing conservation, authorities seem more concerned with managing tree plantations—especially those of Blue Gum (Eucalyptus globulus), the very trees koalas rely on for food and shelter.
Environmental groups are urging a full independent review, an immediate stop to aerial killings, and above all, a serious ethical and scientific debate on how to handle wildlife during climate emergencies. Killing from the sky without a chance for verification or rescue cannot—and must not—be the solution.
Australia must protect its wildlife. and the world must hold it accountable.
Australia has a moral duty to protect its native species. And the rest of the world has a responsibility not to look away.
