Aussie authorities admit killing El Grande

Authorities in Australia have admitted they destroyed the biggest tree in the country, a massive eucalyptus believed to be some 350 years old. The tree, known as El Grande, was a massive 260 feet tall and some 70 feet around its base. As reported by News From Abroad several months back, environmentalists claimed that the tree, in Tasmania, had been killed during a burning operation designed to regenerate the wilderness area in which it stood – even if state officials were claiming that the tree would “regenerate”. But this week they admitted that the tree had been killed, drawing fierce criticism from environmental groups. Geoff Law, of the Wilderness Society, reportedly told The Guardian that news of the tree’s demise “would reverberate around the world, undermining the state’s reputation as a clean, green, pristine destination.” He added: “It is significant that forestry has confessed to killing the largest known living thing in Australia. They have confessed to killing it through their own incompetence.”