Investigators at the scene of a “koala massacre” at a cleared gum tree plantation in Victoria say the number of animals killed is likely to rise above 40 as they make their way through 10 kilometres of felled timber.
A major incident response has been set up at the site, on private land near Cape Bridgewater, with koalas being treated by vets for starvation and broken bones.
The state’s conservation regulator said it had assessed more than 80 koalas since arriving on the scene on Friday. About 30 koalas had been euthanised.
The Victorian environment minister, Lily D’Ambrosio, said on Monday the event was “devastating” for the koala population in the Portland region and pledged the government would do “everything possible” to bring the perpetrators to account.
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“Every Victorian can rightly feel not only appalled, deeply saddened and heartbroken, but angry. I am absolutely angry.”
Locals reported the incident to the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP), which arrived on site on Friday.
Portland resident Helen Oakley posted a video from the site. In the video, she said: “Look at the destruction that they have done and there’s koalas lying there dead … and there are mothers killed with their little babies. Australia should be ashamed of this.”
Source: Koala ‘massacre’: scores of animals found dead or injured after plantation logging
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