Koala Day is a day dedicated to helping koalas live by culling off koalas one day per year.

Koala Day was first celebrated in 1992, after a severe drought dramatically reduced the available food load for koalas. Combines with the rapid increase of urban development in recent years, the destruction of the koala's natural habitat, which is also their primary and only food source, Eucalyptus Trees, meant that many koalas were starving to death. In 1992/93, the numbers of dead koalas found increased 9 fold. Autopsies revealed that in excess of 98% of the deaths were a result of malnutrition.

A koala starving to death is a horrible way to die for three reasons. Firstly, and obviously, the koala is hungry and begins to wither away rapidly. Secondly, because koalas get 100% of their required water from the Eucalyptus leaves that they eat, they quickly dehydrate. Thirdly, the Eucalyptus that they eat contains Eucalyptus oil - a toxic substance that koalas have adapted to tolerating, much like a drug. Once the koala stops eating, they start to 'come down' off the permanent high that they are normally on as a result of the continued consumption of the toxic eucalyptus. This is tantamount to a drug addict going through severe withdrawal symptoms.

Try to imaging starving, dehydrating and withdrawal symptoms all at the same time. It is certainly easier, and much more disturbing, to comprehend this once you hear the agonised screams of a koala - an animal that normally makes no sound at all.

In their quest to find food, they sometimes move closer to urban areas, and are met with traffic and dogs and cats. Traffic normally means a fast death, which is not so bad, but when koalas are killed by cats and dogs, the death is much more painful and drawn out.

Normally, Koalas are a protected species, however, through an amendment to legislation, on February 26 people are encouraged to find and destroy up to 3 koalas. Koalas may only be shot, and any koala that is shot MUST be shot twice within 10 seconds.

Scientists are saying 'slightly', however research is showing that every year, only about 3600 koalas are destroyed on koala day, which is not enough, unless the day falls on a weekend, in which case numbers rocket to about 18,000, a much more effective number, but still not enough. The reason that so few are culled is two fold; firstly, koalas are difficult to find even though there are so many of them, and secondly, people have to go out and work unless koala day falls on a weekend, Hence the call for Koala day to be called as a public holiday. In time, Scientists say that they could reduce the number of koalas to be killed down to one per person, however that is probably not achievable until 2016, and only if the public holiday happens.

Contact your federal member of parliament can provide more information or click here.