Revealing the Facts of Koala Slaughter in Australia, Here’s What Experts at IPB University Say

Koalas are endemic animals that originate from Australia. This animal is also one of the attractions for tourists visiting the country. Not surprisingly, many breeding places or zoos in Australia offer the experience of holding and taking pictures with this typical Australian animal.

Although koalas are now famous as one of Australia’s symbols, in 1927 there was a massive slaughter of koalas known as “Black August”.

“The massacre that occurred in the state of Queensland was carried out by trapping and shooting dead hundreds of thousands of koalas. In fact, the total could reach 800 thousand if you count the young koalas affected by the death of their mothers and males,” said Prof Ronny Rachman Noor, Ecological Genetics Expert at IPB University.

Prof Ronny continued, the koala slaughter cannot be separated from the hunting tradition of taking koala skins and fur to be sold at fantastic prices. Australian government data shows that around 1919, around 1 million koala skins were sold.

“This massacre occurred because at that time the economic conditions in the state of Queensland were not good with high unemployment rates. Therefore, the lucrative price of koala skins made the local government take a shortcut by allowing the killing of koalas,” said Prof Ronny Rachman Noor.

He continued, this massacre is certainly inseparable from the colonisers’ attitude that koalas are unattractive and stupid animals. Looking at history and its journey, the koala slaughter in 1927 was the last season that this activity was allowed to be carried out in the state of Queensland.

“Over time, there was a drastic change in outlook because koalas, emus and kangaroos became national symbols and identities of Australia as well as an increase in awareness that these very unique wildlife must be protected because they are threatened with extinction,” said Prof Ronny.

Prof Ronny also added that the “Black August” event was one of the main triggers for the drastic decline in the koala population. Even today, the decline is still ongoing due to other factors such as deforestation and forest fires that trigger a decrease in the population of eucalyptus leaves as a source of food for koalas.

He also explained that the level of love for koalas among Australians and the world has increased. Mass movements aimed at protecting koalas from extinction are growing, triggering local government vigilance in setting policies that will have an impact on koala populations.

“This dark event has made us realise that human activity is a major factor in environmental degradation and wildlife scarcity. With the wildlife protection movement, it can help reduce the decline in wildlife populations and the threat of extinction,” Prof Ronny concluded. (*/Lp) (IAAS/RUM)