TTO – Australia’s endemic marsupials are having to fight the harshness of nature to survive. Forest fires, drought and human impacts have caused the number of koalas to decrease to alarming levels.
On February 11, the Australian Government officially placed the koala population on the endangered species list on February 11 after two decades of continuous decline in the number of this species.
Koalas were listed as “vulnerable” in the eastern states a decade ago. This animal is recognized worldwide as a symbol of the uniqueness of Australian wildlife.
Images of koalas dying in droughts and forest fires have saddened animal lovers around the world in recent years.
“We will take unprecedented actions to protect koalas,” Australian Environment Minister Sussan Ley emphasized on February 11.
According to Ms. Ley, designating koalas as an endangered species will help the government have more resources to better protect them in the states of New South Wales and Queensland and the capital Canberra region. These are places where koala populations used to be large and were also their main habitat in Australia.
Authorities have proposed a plan worth AUD 50 million (USD 36 million) to protect and restore koala habitat.
Some environmental activists welcome the listing of koalas as endangered because it helps increase public awareness and better protect the animals. But they also criticized the Australian Government for failing to stop the decline of koala populations.
“The decision on February 11 is welcome, but it will not prevent koalas from sliding to extinction without laws and measures to encourage people to protect koala habitat,” said expert Stuart. Blanch of the Office of the International Organization for Conservation of Nature in Australia expressed his opinion.
The Scientific Committee on Threatened Species – an independent organization in Australia – estimates koala numbers have dropped from 185,000 in 2001 to just 92,000 in 2021.
The Koala Association gives an even more alarming figure, claiming that Australia has lost about 30% of its koala population in the past 3 years. The number of this species has decreased from 80,000 in 2010 to less than 58,000 in 2021.
Alexia Wellbelove of the Humane Society International said Australian east coast koalas could become extinct by 2050 if no action is taken.
The flattening of forests inhabited by koalas is believed to be the main cause of their decline.
According to environmental protection groups, since designating koalas as a vulnerable species, the Australian Government has approved the flattening of more than 25,000 hectares of habitat for this species.
