The Australian Government has announced its decision to consider koalas in the area of Queensland, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory as endangered. This announcement is made after the drop in the number of copies due, among other causes, to forest fires, climate change, droughts, deforestation and diseases such as chlamydia.
The new measure aims to substantially improve the conservation status of this marsupial and carry out more strategies to get them out of the risk in which they find themselves. Sussan Ley, Minister for the Environment of Australia has stated that “the new inclusion in the list highlights the challenges facing the species. Together we can ensure a healthy future for the koala and this decision will play a key role in that process.”
It is important to note that not all koalas in Australia are considered by the Government to be in danger of extinction, but rather that the measure promoted does not affect the other two states that have this animal, South Australia and Victoria, where this species does not seem to be at risk of disappearing.
30% fewer koalas in the last three years
The official figures of Australia record that in its territory there are 180,000 koalas in the east of the country, however, from the Koala Foundation, they assured that in reality there would only be between 50,000 and 80,000 of these animals left in the entire country. This coincides with the results of an investigation that was carried out in 2020, koalas could disappear from eastern Australia by the year 2050, due to the continuous destruction of their habitats and natural disasters that are becoming more frequent in the region. .
In 2021 there were 58,000 koalas in the country compared to 80,000 in 2018. The worst decline occurred in New South Wales, where specimens fell by 41%
In the summer of 2019 and 2020 alone, the fires recorded in Australia killed more than 60,000 koalas, so these specimens have become the great victims of these devastating phenomena. In addition, this animal has a high risk of chlamydia, a disease that can cause death, one more danger to its survival.
As data from the Australian Koala Foundation indicated last year, the country lost approximately 30% of its specimens in the last three years. Therefore, in 2021 there were 58,000 marsupials in the country, when this figure was 80,000 in 2018. The worst decline occurred in New South Wales, where the figure fell by 41%.
Listing koalas as endangered will give them greater protection under Australia’s national environmental legislation. In addition, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), “this will not only protect the emblematic animal, but also many other species that live alongside it.” The National Environment Act will launch a recovery plan next week, when the two state governments meet with that of the Australian Capital Territory, which includes Canberra.
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