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| rescued mother and infant |
Koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus)were decimated by this summer's wildfires in Australia. A study commissioned by the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) found that 61,000 kolas were killed, injured or displaced by the flames. Even before the fires, koalas and other Australia wildlife were under threat from expanding human development. Agriculture is among the top contributors to deforestation in areas where koalas live. [photo credit: NYT]
Estimates of koala populations have varied over time. They range from 43,000 to 300,000. In 2019 the Koala Foundation estimated fewer than 80,000 remained. The need for an more accurate count is apparent as more koalas appear in urban areas, forced out of their wild homes. Koalas, unlike some species, do not do well in urban environments where they are run over by vehicles or attacked by domestic dogs. Populations under stress are more prone to diseases.
Counting the tree dwelling marsupial is not always easy, so wildlife officials plan to employ trained canine trackers and technological aids such as drones equipped with thermal cameras. The environment minister said koala experts will gather next year to discuss the best methods for conducting the count. Some conservationists say the koala cannot wait to be counted, as evidence already exists that their numbers are in serious decline; one spokesperson likened the koala census to counting deck chairs on the Titanic (Should they have counted lifeboats instead?) Twenty-three groups demanded in a letter that the federal government do more to protect koala habitat. WWF has an ambitious goal to double koala numbers in eastern Australia by dropping tens of thousands of eucalyptus seeds on burned areas to promote reforestation. Koalas feed on eucalyptus leaves and live in their branches.