The koala is a national icon of Australia. And in some parts of the country, these marsupials — known for their fluffy ears, adorable clingy babies, and diet of eucalyptus leaves — are endangered. In the last two decades, their population size in some areas has dropped by half.

It may seem odd, then, that the government is shooting them out of trees. From helicopters. In a national park.

Earlier this month, government authorities shot and likely killed several hundred koalas from helicopters in Budj Bim National Park, a protected area in the southern state of Victoria, as journalist Michael Dahlstrom reported.

Animal advocates are demanding an independent review after the Victorian government began euthanising koalas from helicopters for the first time in Australia.

Local rescuers are concerned about what happens to the joeys after their mothers are shothttps://t.co/72kidXIK1j

Some animal welfare advocates are alarmed. The government, meanwhile, says it’s for the benefit of the koalas. But ultimately the deaths of these animals points to much bigger problems, including climate change — which forces agencies that manage wildlife to make incredibly difficult choices.........

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