Government Pressured To Classify Koalas ‘Endangered’ As Population Declines

By

1 Minutes Read

'You can't lose our koalas' (Photo: Adobe. Do not use without permission) - Media Credit:

Animal welfare groups are urging the federal government in Australia to classify Koalas as an ‘endangered’ species as the population continues to decline.

A report commissioned by the World Wide Fund for Nature-Australia shows the koala population in Queensland has declined by at least 50 percent from 2001.

While populations in New South Wales have dropped between 33-61 percent in the same period, with more than 6,000 koalas being killed during the country’s ‘catastrophic’ bushfires.

WWF-Australia, the International Fund for Animal Welfare, and Humane Society International (HSI) are now calling for increased protection for koala’s habitats in a bid to support the species

‘A real shock’

According to SBS News, Conservation Scientist Dr. Stuart Blanch said: “What is most significant is it was only in 2012 that they were first listed in the eastern states as a vulnerable species under state and federal law, and that was a real shock to us because you can’t lose our koalas.

“These are our national icon and our cute and cuddly animal. We have gone from not being a threatened species to being listed as an endangered species on the east coast within a decade.

“I would never have thought that was possible. I never thought we would be losing them so quickly.”

Support Plant Based News in our mission to plant 1 million trees by 2030. 🌳

Your donation supports our mission to bring you vital, up-to-the-minute plant-based news and research and contributes to our goal of planting 1 million trees by 2030. Every contribution combats deforestation and promotes a sustainable future. Together, we can make a difference – for our planet, health, and future generations.

© 2023 Plant Based News is a UK-based digital media outlet publishing content about veganism and plant-based living, including news and current events, health, personal transformation stories, features, and recipes. | Plant Based News Ltd, PO Box 71173, London, SE20 9DQ, United Kingdom.

buttons/scroll-to-top/scroll-to-top-small-active