Nearly 700 koalas were reportedly killed in a mass cull in Australian bushland due to concerns of overpopulation and starvation, Xinhua news agency reports citing local media.

The Australian newspaper said 686 koalas were culled in Victoria in 2013 and 2014 in response to overpopulation in a woodland in the area and concerns of starvation.

Environment officers captured the koalas and sedated them before they were put down, with healthy females released and treated with fertility control hormone implants.

The mass extermination was kept secret to avoid a backlash from locals and environmental activists.

- Bernama