There is controversy over the collective euthanasia conducted to alleviate the suffering of koalas who have become food insecure following a large fire in Australia.
According to reports from the Guardian and others on the 28th, the state of Victoria in Australia recently euthanized about 700 koalas. This was performed by shooting koalas in poor health with firearms from aircraft using binoculars and other aids.
The fire in the Boods Beam National Park in Victoria burned an area of 2,200 hectares (approximately 6.66 million pyeong), resulting in the loss of food for the koalas. It is said that this is the first time such "aerial euthanasia" has been carried out as a dimension of wildlife welfare.
Lisa Palma, the CEO of Wildlife Victoria, explained to the Guardian, "The koalas were suffering from a lack of food due to the large fire," and noted, "We made the decision to help them escape from their suffering quickly."
However, there are also voices of criticism regarding whether it was an appropriate method. In particular, unlike other regions in Australia such as New South Wales and Queensland, koalas in Victoria are not designated as an endangered species. This is because there is not enough habitat for koalas to thrive.
Rolf Schlaeglott, a koala ecologist at Central Queensland University who has studied koalas for 20 years, pointed out, "The fundamental issue is the failure to properly manage koala habitats."