"A koala injured in the logged blue gum plantation at Cape Bridgewater. Victorian wildlife authorities are investigating reports of a "koala massacre" in the state’s south-west, with hundreds of the marsupials alleged to have been starved when their habitat was logged, their bodies then bulldozed into waste piles.Volunteers and government workers were on the scene at Cape Bridgewater on Sunday, trying to rescue dozens of surviving koalas.The deaths are believed to be the result of clear-fell logging of a plantation of bluegum trees, according to conservation group Friends of the Earth, with the operation leaving hundreds of koalas to starve, a version of events disputed by the logging industry.Friends of the Earth said the "koala massacre" came to light when local activists saw bulldozers pushing the bodies of dead koalas into waste piles left over from the main logging operations.The logging industry group said on Sunday that the forestry contractor who harvested the bluegum plantation in November followed all of the stringent wildlife protocols in place to protect koalas.The Australian Forest Products Association says the land and its remaining trees were bulldozed after the contractor had left, with the lobby group pledging to hold its own investigation into the incident.The Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning confirmed on Sunday morning that it had been at Cape Bridgewater, about 14 kilometres west of Portland, for several days and had rescued a number of animals.The news comes after many thousands of koala deaths in the bushfires that ravaged the east and north of the state in December and January.The department said it was prepared to prosecute over the events. “There may have been one or two koalas killed and I’ll wear the responsibility, but it’s not the big hoo-ha it’s been made out to be.” Russell Troeth declined to comment, referring Guardian Australia to a phone number for staff at the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning.The Australian Forest Products Association (AFPA) said it was launching its own investigation and that the industry was “appalled” at what it described as a “callous act of animal cruelty”.The association’s chief executive, Ross Hampton, said forestry operators “scrupulously and meticulously follow koala preservation procedures overseen by the Department of Environment in Victoria”.“I’m advised that the operators in this case were so careful that they even took an injured koala, which they found during inspection, to the vet,” he said. "Australian Forest Products Association chief executive Ross Hampton condemned those responsible for the koala deaths and injuries. © 2020 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size. In the video, she said: “Look at the destruction that they have done and there’s koalas lying there dead ... and there are mothers killed with their little babies. "If this is found to be due to deliberate human action, we expect the conservation regulator to act swiftly against those responsible.

Koalas starved, says farmer accused of Portland 'massacre' By Noel Towell. "The conservation regulator is currently investigating this matter, with the department. Warning: Distressing content. The animal was later put down after being found to have a broken arm. Feb 01, 2020 Friends of the Earth has been alarmed to learn of a koala "massacre" occurring during the logging of a bluegum plantation, located approximately 12-14km west of the south west Victorian town of Portland. "We are extremely concerned about these reports of a koala population on private land near Cape Bridgewater where animals are showing signs of starvation and injury," a spokeswoman said. We support all those calling for the full force of the law to be applied to the perpetrator.“AFPA will be launching its own investigation. 'Koala massacre' feared in Victoria's south-west. “There’s about 10 kilometres of felled timber that we have to get through.”Surviving koalas were being moved to wildlife carers for treatment and rehabilitation, and carers and vets were on site.“The conservation regulator’s major investigations team is leading the investigation into how this incident happened and who was responsible,” Gavens said. February 2, 2020 — 1.40pm. Australia should be ashamed of this.”Victoria’s chief conservation regulator, Kate Gavens, said more than 80 koalas had been assessed since Friday and at least 30 had been euthanised.On Monday she said 40 koalas had died, but that number was likely to rise. About 30 koalas had been euthanised.The Victorian environment minister, Lily D’Ambrosio, said on Monday the event was “devastating” for the koala population in the Portland region and pledged the government would do “everything possible” to bring the perpetrators to account.“Every Victorian can rightly feel not only appalled, deeply saddened and heartbroken, but angry. "[The department] will be onsite ensuring resources and expertise is available to continue to care for wildlife injured. "The departmental spokeswoman said the rescue and recovery operation was set to continue in the coming days. Friends of the Earth (FOE) reported koalas were left to starve after logging operations in late December 2019. Koala Massacre Currently Occurring in South West Victoria. In one instance, a koala had her arm stuck between two branches and she had starved to death. “A couple had literally been crushed to death when these trees have been uprooted. By Noel Towell. "We support all those calling for the full force of the law to be applied to the perpetrator. Photo: Facebook. Warning: Distressing content. D’Ambrosio described the incident as “abysmal”, saying: “We will do everything possible to bring the people responsible for this to account and will throw every penalty available to us at them.”She said the government would consider breaches of both the Under the Wildlife Act, the conservation regulator said, killing, harassing or disturbing wildlife could attract a penalty of up to $8,000 and an additional fine of more than $800 per head of wildlife.