Koalas are being shot dead by snipers from helicopters as Australian authorities look to cull the iconic mammals after a wildfire devastated their habitat, writes The Independent.

Animal activists have expressed their fury as they claim over 700 koalas have been shot dead so far and fearing more will be killed in the coming days.

Aerial snipers from the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) are patrolling the Budj Bim world heritage area in south-west Victoria after a lightning strike sparked a devastating wildfire last month.

The cull is being enforced amid fears the koala population will starve and die due to the loss of 2,000 hectares of the national park.

But Jess Robertson, president of the Koala Alliance, said that local communities were disgusted with the methods used, adding: "There is no way they can tell if a koala is in poor condition from a helicopter".