Over 700 koalashave been shot dead by snipers from helicopters with activists fearing more will be killed in the coming days. Australian authorities have taken drastic measures to cull the iconic mammals after a wildfire devastated 20% of their habitat last month.

The cull in the Budj Bim National Park in western Victoria began in early April but it only came to light on Good Friday. The government says the cull was urgent because koalas had been left starving, dehydrated or burned after bushfires destroyed 2,000 hectares of habitat. The Government says the controversial euthanesia is necessary to prevent their suffering, however, wildlife groups argue it is impossible to assess the health of koalas from the air.