topic The koala cull in Community Spirit

The koala cull

donnashuggy — Wed, 04 Mar 2015 08:25:37 GMT

Why was it kept a secret?

Re: The koala cull

debra9275 — Wed, 04 Mar 2015 08:45:55 GMT

no idea why they kept it quiet, it seems pretty sneaky, I guess they did it that way so that there was no public outcry. We went to the Otway National Park towards the end of last year and there are a lot of trees with no foliage but I thought it was due to the large bushfire that went through there a few years ago. It is bushland and there are still a lot of trees with foliage as well as the bare ones. The koalas we saw looked healthy and the tourists just adore them

On the news they said that only the strongest will survive.... i hope they are being very careful with their culling then, we could end up with none. I also hope they are replanting trees , though we didn't see much evidence of that. There seem to be less and less areas available to our native animals. I would like to see more national parks so that these creatures aren't so condendesed in so few areas

Re: The koala cull

cherry*135 — Wed, 04 Mar 2015 08:59:06 GMT

Re: The koala cull

the*scarlet*pimpernel — Wed, 04 Mar 2015 09:01:56 GMT

I belive those koalas were introduced to that area. I don't know where they were relocated from.

We are facing the same problem here. Shenhua says they will relocate the Breeza koalas to Tambar Springs. There is already a koala population there. What will introducing more (and we are talking hundreds) do to the ecosystem at Tambar. I foresee the same thing happening to these koalas. So sad, it's the biggest joy I get from living here, having koalas visit my yard. It makes living with those dang noisy smelly coal trains worthwhile. And Shenhua is going to take that away from us.

*sigh*

but enough about me.

We need to learn from this. Why wasn't that population monitored and maybe moved before they ate themselves out of house and home.

Re: The koala cull

debra9275 — Wed, 04 Mar 2015 09:07:52 GMT

Re: The koala cull

debra9275 — Wed, 04 Mar 2015 09:09:44 GMT

those pics were taken there, you can see that in some parts the trees have foliage and in other parts they don't. the pics were all taken along the same road

Re: The koala cull

lionrose.7 — Wed, 04 Mar 2015 09:30:47 GMT

They should send the Koala's to QLD, they are dying up there because all their trees are being cleared

Re: The koala cull

vicr3000 — Wed, 04 Mar 2015 10:06:28 GMT

Why do you say it was kept secret ? Any permits to cull on private property are not required to be publicised.

Everybody down that way knows of the problem and it was getting worse, even after the previous culls.

All those that were culled would have died of starvation anyway and taking out 600 now

ensures that 600 - 1200 others survive. Leave those 600 a bit longer, you end up with an

even lower number surviving so you save more by taking those out that wont survive.

Might be worth reading the article in the Age, it answers a few questions.

Re: The koala cull

debra9275 — Wed, 04 Mar 2015 11:00:40 GMT

why do I say it was kept secret??

because it was

http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/news/geelong/hundreds-of-koalas-killed-in-secret-cape-otway-cull/story-fnjuhovy-1227247247287

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/hundreds-of-starving-cape-otway-koalas-killed-in-secret-culls-20150304-13un49.html

The secret cull was conducted under the previous Liberal government near the Great Ocean Road to address overpopulation issues.

Re: The koala cull

curmu-curmu — Wed, 04 Mar 2015 11:12:39 GMT

@donnashuggy wrote:
Why was it kept a secret?

Well, of course it would be kept secret!

Can you just imagine the outrage from all the tree-hugging greenies if they knew about a cull of their precious Aussie icon?

As is their natural action, they'd completely ignore the fact that they were dying of starvation, which would lead to increased susceptibility to disease, which in turn could spread to other, healthier koalas, thereby endangering the entire population, rather than just a few, and instead,demand a less permanaent solution be found - and damn the consequences!

Either that, or the tree-huggers would insist on relocation - increasing the possibility of transferring potential disease to other areas, or once again, causing starvation in other areas.

Nobody likes to see animals put down - but there comes a time when culling is the best and possibly only, option, and I'd seriously doubt that other avenues were not explored prior to the cull...

Re: The koala cull

gkam2 — Wed, 04 Mar 2015 11:17:14 GMT

The secret cull was conducted under the previous Liberal government near the Great Ocean Road to address overpopulation issues.

Could'nt resist that point, could you.

Re: The koala cull

debra9275 — Wed, 04 Mar 2015 11:28:00 GMT

Well, that's what happened, I was asked why I thought it was done in secret, and that line is a c/p from the article in the link that shows it was.. So?

Re: The koala cull

vicr3000 — Wed, 04 Mar 2015 16:51:44 GMT

Debra

Because the media called it a "secret cull" to blow it out of all proportion. Notice how "secret culls" is in ' ' ?

Where does it say the public have to be informed before it happens ?

People down that way know it went on, it's no secret.

Does everyone get informed everytime a permit is issued to cull Kangaroos, Galahs, Cockatoos, Deer or other animals. No, they don't.

(and that is just thinking of culls of animals that I know occur on a regular basis) ?

You wouldn't want to see the end result if they didn't cull them / the 600.

or do you not acknowledge that the taking of 600 actually saves more in the long run ??????

Re: The koala cull

debra9275 — Wed, 04 Mar 2015 21:30:43 GMT

it sounds like people down that way didn't know either. so it was done in secret. one of those links i posted is from the Geelong Advertiser.... here are the comments under the article.

STOP CUTTING DOWN THEIR HABITAT YOU BARBARIANS I have extensively travelled the East Coast of Australia with my children and this was the ONLY place we saw Koala's in the wild
Why oh why don't they ask for help, I have 60 acres of beautiful bush with one lonely koala. I would have loved to take more onto the property. Situated close to the otways. Shame shame on those that don't think it through before taking such terrible steps!!!!!
Unfortunately these koalas at Cape Otway were introduced from French Island, so moving them is not a viable option as these animals are territorial. As wildlife carers and rescuers we are very distressed that these animals had to be culled as they are endanger of becoming extinct, especially in Queensland where human habitation has destroyed their natural environment.

what i don't understand is if the koalas were moved there from French Island, why is moving them not a viable option as they were moved there in the first place

Re: The koala cull

vicr3000 — Wed, 04 Mar 2015 21:35:51 GMT

"as they are endanger of becoming extinct, "

Here we go again, every animal on earth is in danger of becoming extinct in the eyes of Greenies,

even those not on any endangered list and in huge numbers.

"STOP CUTTING DOWN THEIR HABITAT YOU BARBARIANS"

They aren't cutting down the trees, that's not what's killing them.

The other aspect is that most of those culled were in such a state they wouldn't have survived anyway.

They were being kind.

Deb

I think they said something about these Koalas like the Trees they are in (Manna's) and don't like changing,

as was found out in the past.

I can see why they were removed from French Island, stinking mossie infested flea pit that it is !

Re: The koala cull

lionrose.7 — Wed, 04 Mar 2015 21:36:17 GMT

I have seen paces where they cut down all the trees to build houses then call the place Koala beach, no koalas left.

I find a Koala kill just bloody disgusting, it is not as if they eat crops or grass.

They bloody eat gums tree leaves, leave the bloody trees alone.

Well that felt better.

Re: The koala cull

vicr3000 — Wed, 04 Mar 2015 21:39:24 GMT

I don't dispute that in some areas they have cut the trees down. Have seen it myself in Qld, two chains between bull dozers.

LION
I can't see why you can't see that for the benefit of the WHOLE group numbers, culling the sickest and the weakest means more survive in the short term and most would have died anyway, a cruel death.

That rule applies to all animals, birds in the world where you have a finite amount of food and / or other factors (cold weather) that cause deaths later on.

Do you not understand that ?

Re: The koala cull

debra9275 — Wed, 04 Mar 2015 21:39:34 GMT

well I hope they find other options for them rather than culling them

Re: The koala cull

vicr3000 — Wed, 04 Mar 2015 21:41:36 GMT

Even if they starve to death, die a slow death from stress and ill health ?

Does that apply to every other animal that is culled in Aus as well ?

Re: The koala cull

***super_nova*** — Wed, 04 Mar 2015 21:43:07 GMT

It is sad but necessary. Th people who do the cull know what they are doing, and they do care about the animals; it would not be easy for them, and of-course they chose the sickest and skinniest ones. If it was made public some well meaning idiots would be interfering, and it would only make the selection more difficult and less efficient.

Remember when few years, during severe drought, ago there was attempted cull of kangaroos when they became so numerous and starving that they were running around the town and attacking people? Group of naive people went there and tried to stop the cull.