Sixteen dead koalas have been found on a eucalyptus plantation in Melbourne, Australia. This was announced by the conservation agency of the state of Victoria on Monday. The sudden death of the animals puzzles animal conservationists.
Thirteen cadavers were already discovered in mid-June, and now three more have been added, it sounds like. The animals showed no external injuries, such as broken bones or gunshot wounds. An autopsy has not yet revealed a conclusive cause of death.
The koalas were in various stages of decomposition. Some animals probably died a year ago, others have only been dead a few weeks. The nature conservation agency plans additional research in any case. “The lack of any trauma and the pathological results suggest that the deaths may have been due to environmental factors,” it said.
However, it cannot be ruled out that the endangered marsupials were deliberately killed. The maximum penalty for killing protected animals in Australia is a fine of AUD 9,246 (6,200 euros) and/or six months in prison.
Last year, a study by the Australian Koala Foundation found that the number of koalas in the country is declining rapidly, by as much as 30 percent in a few years. According to the study, koalas are already extinct in much of the country. In particular, the devastating forest fires of 2019-2020 amounted significantly to the death of the animals.
