Mass Deaths of Koalas in Australia Prompt Animal Cruelty Charges

The deaths of dozens of koalas in Victoria prompted Australia regulators to issue hundreds of animal cruelty charges.

In 2020, dead koalas were found at a timber plantation that was partly cleared at Cape Bridgewater. Due to dehydration and injuries incurred during the incident, other koalas were euthanized. 

(Photo : Getty Images)

Mass Deaths of Koalas 

A landowner and an earthmoving company have been accused of injuring and murdering the animals by cleaning the field. Each of them faces 126 charges, according to BBC News.

One case of animal cruelty has been filed against a second company, a contractor, for disturbing the koala population.

They haven't yet made a formal appeal. The Conservation Regulator of Victoria, Australia, did not identify the accused.

Shaimaa Khalil, a BBC Sydney reporter, adds that each crime carries a hefty fine or a potential term of 12 months in prison.

There are just a few isolated pockets of blue gum trees left in the plantation, which is an essential koala habitat. In the few surviving trees, there were dead koalas. Bulldozers may have killed others.

21 koalas were discovered dead and 49 others had to be euthanized by Australian broadcaster ABC, according to ABC's website.

According to the Victorian Conservation Regulator, the event endangered 200 koalas. In Victoria, koalas are a protected species.

Helen Oakley, a local homeowner, saw the dead animals and filmed a video of herself grieving and conveying the news, which sparked an inquiry into the incident.

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Government Intervention in the Situation

Victoria's state government promised that those responsible will be held accountable for the killings when they were first reported on social media by a citizen.

More than 250 animal cruelty violations were filed against the property owner and the company, including 36 counts of severe cruelty for causing fatalities. One more contractor was charged with a felony cruelty crime. Officials failed to get the names of either the landowner or the firms in question.

In February, the matter will be heard in court. A person or a corporation may face a maximum penalty of $65,500 or two years in jail for a single accusation of severe animal cruelty resulting to death.

All of Australia's states and territories have designated the koala a "vulnerable" species and are working to safeguard the marsupials. The devastating wildfires that ravaged large swaths of the nation in 2019 had a significant impact on its population.

(Photo : Getty Images)

Decline in Koala Population

In spite of the fact that the koalas have evolved to cope with wildfires, climate change and human activity are placing new pressures on the creatures' capacity to withstand flames.

It's impossible to determine how many koalas are left in Australia, but experts estimate that their numbers have dropped by as much as 80% in certain areas..

It has been suggested that researching and rescuing koalas might be crucial in the development of a human vaccine against chlamydia because of their similar sensitivity to human infection.

Australian officials initiated a project to count the koala population and document where they reside in the wild last year, a formidable task since koalas are difficult to identify in the wild.

In trees, marsupials are easy to overlook if they sit stationary and are concealed by the canopy. There were also acoustic studies and detection dogs sent by government agencies. 

Related Article: [WATCH] Australian Woman Saves Koala From Bushfire

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