MORE than 50 koalas have been destroyed after a recent welfare check at Cape Otway.

Overpopulation in the area prompted the introduction of welfare checks in 2013, when 71 per cent of the population was put down.

In May this year a further 28 per cent of the population was destroyed and last month’s cull, of 54 animals, represented 13.7 per cent of the 395 koalas assessed.

“The euthanasia of koalas was not undertaken lightly, but was considered necessary to protect koala welfare,” said a spokesman for the Environment Department.

“The euthanased animals were buried in an appropriate manner.”

Four young koalas whose mothers were killed because of poor health were sent to Victorian wildlife parks and 166 healthy females were treated with a contraceptive implant.

The checks were introduced in 2013 to respond to the dire situation of koalas stripping bare and killing manna gum trees before starving to death.

Researchers reported animals eating dirt, being too ­malnourished to move and abandoning their young in a nightmarish situation.

A trial was also introduced last month to move koalas to nearby Lorne.

CAPE KOALAS TO BE RELOCATED

Thirty-seven healthy animals were fitted with radio collars and will be monitored to see how they adapt to the mixed eucalypt forest in place of their favoured manna gums.

Environment Department senior biodiversity officer Mandy Watson said the results of monitoring and health checks at Lorne would be compared with 30 radio collared animals remaining at Cape Otway, while the young koalas sent to wildlife parks would be monitored monthly.

“This process needs to be completed before recommending future actions including whether to proceed with the proposed large scale translocation to areas of mixed eucalypt forest,” Ms Watson said.

“(The department) will also continue to closely watch the situation at Cape Otway and any significant impacts on koala health and habitat during the predicted hot, dry summer ahead.”

The local community was supporting efforts to help ­reduce the effect of overbrowsing by koalas of manna gums.

The koala project team is also involved with tree planting in Cape Otway as part of a long-term strategy to protect the koalas and their habitat.