The tragic culling of over 700 koalas in Budj Bim National Park in Victoria is a horrifying reminder of how our wildlife is being failed by shortsighted policies. This decision to shoot these beloved creatures from helicopters, after a bushfire ravaged their habitat, was not only a shocking act of cruelty but also a devastating […]
Tag: Koalas
Koalas face death, attacks and starvation as blue gums chopped down in Victoria
Thousands of koalas are being displaced each year as blue gum plantations are cut down in Victoria, worsening overcrowding in nearby forests and exacerbating the risk of injury and death during bushfires. An estimated 42,500 koalas live in blue gum plantations in south-west Victoria, data shows. Between 8,000 and 10,000 hectares of plantation are harvested […]
Sniping koalas from helicopters: here’s what’s wrong with Victoria’s unprecedented cull
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% […]
Endangered greater gliders recorded in proposed great koala national park in NSW as logging continues
Government surveys have found tens of thousands of endangered greater gliders could be living within the proposed area for a great koala national park in New South Wales, prompting new calls for the area to be quickly protected from logging. Data from aerial drone and ground-based surveys at 169 sites within the proposed park were […]
Chlamydia detected in Sydney’s only disease-free koala population
Chlamydia has spread to Sydney’s only disease-free koala population with two koalas testing positive after they were rescued late last year. The koalas were tested after they were found in Appin in south-western Sydney in September with injuries suggesting they had both been hit by cars. One koala was treated while the other had to […]
Plants Are Becoming Less Nutritious Because of Climate Change, Impacting Herbivores From Insects to Giant Pandas
More than a third of animals on Earth are herbivores, but since plants don’t have a lot of calories it can be hard for grazers to eat enough to meet their energy needs. To add to the problem, climate change is lowering the nutritional value of certain foods that these plant eaters rely on. Fossil […]
150 Koalas Die Every Year at “Roadkill Hotspot”
A recent study highlights a deadly stretch of Australia‘s Peak Downs Highway, where nearly 150 koalas were killed by vehicles in 2023 alone. This 50-kilometer section of road, which links Mackay to the Bowen Basin coal region, has become a severe risk for koalas as cars strike down these endangered marsupials at an alarming rate. […]
Koala deaths almost double in housing developments in south-western Sydney, data shows
Koala road deaths have nearly doubled in a development hotspot in south-western Sydney, according to conservationists who are demanding the Minns government improve protection for the endangered species in new housing areas. In a letter – signed by more than 20 community and national environment groups – to the New South Wales premier, Chris Minns, […]