Travellers slammed for "abhorrent" koala-coaxing video
Two travel influencer have been slammed for posting a step-by-step video on how to coax wild koalas out of trees to pat and take selfies with them.
The NSW-based travellers advertised their DIY six-step video as a "foolproof process" to avoid paying for professional photos with koalas at expensive wildlife parks, with the nation’s largest rescue group calling the video “abhorrent” and warned anyone copying their behaviour risked severe injury.
The video, which has since been deleted, attracted attention from the Department of Environment and WIRES, warning people that trying to touch or attract wild koalas can greatly impact the animals, and could result in injuries to those trying to pat the creatures.
After watching the video, the Conservation Regulator, which sits within the Department of Environment, said told Yahoo News, “We need to let wildlife be wild. Disrupting the natural behaviour of wildlife can contribute to them losing their fear of humans or becoming dependent on humans for food. It can also be dangerous for koalas to be down on the ground where they are at risk of injury.”
Dr Tania Bishop, the head vet at WIRES animal rescue service, was also troubled by the influencer couple's video, asking, "Why would you post something like that?"
Bishop still carries scars from a koala bite in the muscle of her right hand, and she’s seen members of the public also wounded.
“What looks like them reaching up for help is actually them preparing to do a big swipe. They see us as natural predators, they’re frightened of us, and that’s what worries me when I see videos like this,” she said.
There’s one particular moment in the clip, when Bishop believes the woman risked being scalped by the koala, as she said, “When she’s taking a selfie, if that koala was frightened of her being in its way and in its territory,... there’s every reason it could have dug her teeth or claws into her head.”
Queensland-based wildlife biologist Ellie Sursara said the video is part of a larger problem on social media, calling out the influx of dangerous travel content now available that can put people at risk.
“It’s symptomatic of the climate right now for wildlife and travel Instagram content, and whether or not the boundaries are being pushed purposefully for the views, and I think they are,” Susara said.
“There’s a real lack of accountability for that kind of content. They’re not often reported or even looked at properly by Meta, so they’re just floating out there. And there are a lot of creators who gain lots of followers from videos like this, so it makes sense there are copycats.”
The couple behind the stunt told Yahoo News they "were just playing around".
In Victoria, where the video was filmed, interfering with a koala without a permit can carry a fine of up to $46,154 and/or two years in jail.
Image credits: Instagram