Question:

SYDNEY, Australia (Reuters) -- A koala population explosion on an Australian island has prompted calls for 20,000 of the furry, native marsupials to be shot to stop them destroying their island habitat and end a koala famine.
Some 30,000 koalas on Kangaroo Island, off the coast of the state of South Australia, are stripping the island of its native gum trees, destroying the ecosystem and causing a koala famine, say environmentalists and national parks officials.
"We are talking thousands of starving koalas," said Sandra Kanck from the Australian Democrats, Australia's third major political party.
"While they may be cute and cuddly we need to get beyond emotion to reality...my suggestion is professional shooters do it quickly and cleanly," Kanck told Reuters on Friday of the proposed cull.
The South Australian state government has rejected calls for a cull, preferring sterilization and relocation.
The Australian Koala Foundation also opposes a cull of the koalas, which on the Australian mainland are struggling to survive as urban development destroys their habitat.
Kangaroo Island tourist operators say a koala cull would severely damage the island's tourist industry.
"The koalas are so hungry they are eating pine needles," said Kanck. "What will tourists think of a habitat of denuded trees with desperate, starving koalas roaming the damaged landscape?"
http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/science...eut/index.html


Answer:
aww... the poor koalas... I dont know what to say... I hope they can come to a good solution for all of the koalas...


Answer:
I just read that, it was sad


Answer:
It is unfortunate that things like this happen...Much like the wild brumbys of australia....
I do not want to see anything happen to any of them but on the other hand...perhaps getting a reduction in population would be a good thing for the overall health of the species....and lets face it...there are only so many places you could relocate them to....


Answer:



Answer:
aww, i feel so bad for the koalas. They are such sweet creatures.


Answer:
The creature on Earth that really needs a cull is the humans. It's not the koalas' fault.


Answer:
Well, they can try to relocate them, but as someone already said, there's only so many places to relocate to. They're starving to death as it is because of the overpopulation, so it's either relocate the ones that they can find places to send them to (and i am very against setting wild animals into the wild in places where they are not native, it causes a lot of upset in the ecosystem of the new place they go to in most cases.), and let the others starve to death, or kill them. Neither option is really desirable, but both lead to a large number dead by one cause or the other.
The reality of it all is that nobody likes to have to do this kind of thing, no good hearted person, but when there are so many of these animals that it's causing starvation in mass numbers amongst themselves, you can either let it happen naturally or call for this cull which will at least give the surviving ones a chance. There's just not a winning solution in this case really. And no mass killing of the human race would be a better solution either, imo.


Answer:
Neuro wrote: The creature on Earth that really needs a cull is the humans. It's not the koalas' fault.
I agree wholeheartedly. Why do the poor animals always have to suffer for humankind's stupidity?


Answer:
Originally Posted by shadowlark
Originally Posted by neuroleptical
The creature on Earth that really needs a cull is the humans. It's not the koalas' fault.
I agree wholeheartedly. Why do the poor animals always have to suffer for humankind's stupidity?
First of all, why is it human kind's stupidity that the Koalas have overpopulated an island? I didn't see anything in there about a breeding program (which may indicate that there was a human hand behind the sudden growth).
In "real" life, if there weren't any humans around to notice this kind of thing, the island would pretty much be destroyed, as there would be no humans to try and stop this, there would be dead koalas everywhere, except for a few that may learn to survive on a different/modified diet (which may cause "mutations" in the genetics and lead to an "evolution" of sorts --- who knows? maybe the koalas would become canibalistic or even carnivorous-- I hear they have the teeth for it). So, if there were no humans, (or even less humans), it may be very difficult to restore the ecosystem. Who would replant euculyptus trees and ensure their growth if every tree was stripped down? We could try to count on the natural reseeding of the trees, but if the Koalas are starving, I doubt they would let a little seedling grow to be a tree. I'm sure it would get eaten up in a heart beat -- especially if it tastes better than pine needles.
what's more important in this case? An ecosystem that needs to last for how many more years? Or a few koalas that live for 12 years (which I hear is close to the maximum average for females, and males tend to live shorter lives - partly due to fighting)?
I can see maybe getting upset at humans, because of the koalas on the mainland who are being forced out of their habitat by urban developments, but not this.
I know it's hard to justify culling (if it can be justified), but we do have to look at the bigger picture. Those Koalas aren't going to be here forever and that ecosystem has got to last for the offspring of said koalas.
It is true that there is no easy solution, and I jest when I suggest that perhaps someone should look into domesticating the koala . I know if I had the means to provide for one, I would adopt one in a heartbeat.