Why were hundreds of koalas shot in an aerial cull in Victoria?

The Victorian government has used aircraft to shoot about 700 koalas in south-west Victoria. While aerial culling is routinely used in controlling invasive species such as deer and pigs, this was the first time wildlife have been shot by air for welfare reasons. Is aerial culling accurate? He says an initial aerial trial – supported by a ground-based veterinary assessment – demonstrated that aerial shooting was both accurate and humane. He questions the effectiveness and accuracy of aerial culling and thinks a ground-based approach would have been preferable, albeit more expensive.