Calls for investigation after 'entire population' of koalas wiped out
Despite the accusations from wildlife advocates the government says there is no evidence the deaths of the koalas are due to its decision not to move them.
WARNING — DISTRESSING IMAGES: Just months after Victorian authorities blocked advocates' pleas to move a koala population for urgent safety reasons, all remaining koalas have reportedly been found dead.
Victorian authorities were warned that when timber harvesting began on the koala's home in the plantation, the marsupials would likely try to flee to the closest patch of bush which is unfortunately located on the other side of a busy freeway.
Despite the repeated warnings, the Office of the Conservation Regulator (OCR) — which oversees the regulation of wildlife, forests and public land in Victoria — decided against the translocation, saying the move could cause "significant stress" and "poor animal welfare outcomes". Translocation of non-threatened species is generally not supported by the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA).
Devastatingly, now all known koalas from the plantation are believed to be dead and wildlife advocates are calling for an "investigation into the OCR". "This has been a David and Goliath battle with the OCR that has now resulted in the deaths of an entire koala population, leaving an already struggling population devastated," Jessica Robertson at the Save Gordon Koalas campaign revealed.
Advocates been asking for koalas to be relocated for three years
For three years rescuers, advocates and locals lobbied the government to relocate a colony of koalas from a blue gum plantation in Gordon, Victoria situated on the edge of Western Victoria. The wildlife advocates did not oppose the clearing of the plantation because its trees attracted native animals towards the busy freeway but asked for the koalas to be translocated.
With growing media attention, the harvest was delayed for 14 months and the harvester Midway announced to the media at the time they were applying for a permit to relocate the population — which was allegedly denied. On the final day of the harvest, advocates were advised that four koalas remained.
It's believed the community negotiated with the landowner to leave a buffer of gums along Carton’s Road away from the freeway that would temporarily sustain the koalas, but a buffer of gums was instead left along the freeway.
The Conservation Regulator told ABC Ballarat in December it made the decision not to relocate the koalas based on expert advice. "We just don't know what wildlife is going to do, and they could move in any direction," spokesperson Brian Hamer said.
Government defends its position: 'No evidence'
After being advised of the deaths of the four remaining koalas from the plantation, a Conservation Regulator spokesperson told Yahoo it has "no evidence to suggest any deceased koalas found on the Western Highway are linked to the four koalas previously surveyed during and after harvest operations at a former blue gum plantation near Gordon".
"The Conservation Regulator has clear, strict requirements on the blue gum industry to minimise impacts on koalas during harvesting operations. We continue to work with the industry to ensure they understand and comply with their legal obligations under the Wildlife Act 1975," they said.
"Unintentional wildlife collisions are very common on Victorian roads, and whilst it is unfortunate when an animal is injured or dies as a result, it is not a breach of the law."
Wildlife advocates hit back at authorities
Robertson told Yahoo the OCR will "never take accountability". "They have failed in their duty of care to protect our koalas, they have taken no responsibility, shown no remorse and continue to justify the deaths by saying that they would make the same decision again."
Over the past six weeks, rescuers have been called to pouch check four koalas hit and killed on the Western Freeway, in the vicinity of the Gordon plantation while two more deaths were reported to the advocates by Wildlife Victoria — meaning six have been killed since the harvest; the four remaining and two more drawn to the area by the blue gums.
"That would indicate that all four koalas left in the plantation behaved exactly as rescuers had warned and attempted to cross the freeway to reach the only other available habitat," she said.
Wildlife Victoria told Yahoo they were 'dismayed' by the outcome and echoed calls to improve protections for wildlife.
All four koalas sustained horrific injuries and suffered violent deaths to their end.Jessica Robertson
Heidi, an advocate and rescuer with the Gordon Wildlife Alliance revealed just how hard they worked to try to find a safe solution for the koalas as well as translocation. "VicRoads refused multiple requests to put in a temporary speed reduction," she told Yahoo. "Our calls for safety exclusion fencing to keep animals off this known black spot for wildlife deaths and human fatalities were ignored, as were our calls for wildlife bridges and underpasses."
Following the deaths, advocates are not only calling for the OCR to be investigated but are calling for an "independent regulator to act in the interests and welfare of Victorian wildlife".
Experts block plan to carry koalas across busy freeway to safety
Devastating find after authorities refuse to carry koalas across busy road
Better protection of koalas called for
The constant displacement of koalas due to logging and development and escalating road deaths are two main issues severely impacting koalas, and other wildlife, populations. Due to this, rescue groups across the country are pleading for the community to step up and provide better safety guidelines and protections.
"As it stands, the OCR puts the responsibility on harvesters to do the right thing, protect koalas and report on any deaths during harvesting," Robertson shared. "There is no public record of how many koala deaths there are from harvesting injuries, or how many koalas are impacted following the loss of their habitat.
"[And] there is nothing in the Wildlife Act that protects koalas from being left without food and shelter or getting hit by cars — the major cause of injury."
The landowner declined to comment when approached by Yahoo while harvester Midway had not commented at time of publication.
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