Australian bushfires affected 3 billion animals, says shocking WWF report

A new study by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) said on July 28, that almost 3 billion animals, including mammals, reptiles, and birds, were either killed or displaced during Australia's ravaging bushfires in 2019 and 2020. According to WWF Australia, new figures are three times the earlier estimate of 1.2 billion released in January. The WWF said in an interim report that almost 143 million mammals, 2.46 billion reptiles, 180 million birds, and 51 million frogs have perished in the bushfire. 

READ: Satellite Images Show Parts Of Australia Recovering From Drought And Bushfires

The study said that the project is headed by the University of Sydney researchers Lily Van Eeden and Chris Dickman. As per the study, ten researchers from the University of Sydney, the University of New South Wales, the University of Newcastle, Charles Sturt University, and BirdLife Australia contributed to the majority of the work. 

READ: Australian Dog 'Bear' Has Rescued Over 100 Sick, Injured Koalas Following The Bushfires

READ: Australia: NSW Supreme Court Rules In Favour Of Police, Bans 'Black Lives Matter' Protest

READ: Australia: Victoria Records 450 New Coronavirus Cases, Deadliest Day Since Pandemic Began

WWF Australia Report

The WWF Australia's webpage read, "Australia has the worst mammal extinction rate of any country in the world, and the bushfires of summer 2019-20 have only made it much worse. Over 12 million hectares of vital bushland and habitat were destroyed in the fires that swept across our country and nearly 3 billion animals impacted by the blazes."

It added, "The review’s interim report has stated that our laws are currently failing our wildlife and their homes. The review recommended the creation of an ‘independent cop’ to ensure Australia’s flagship environment laws are properly enforced; however the government has rejected this recommendation"

"This matters, because in 13 years, 1 million hectares of likely or know threatened species habitat was destroyed for agriculture development without authorisation in Queensland and New South Wales. It’s clear the government needs to do more – much more - to protect our wildlife and the places we love before we lose more of our precious animals forever."

"We urgently need to send a strong message to our leaders calling on them to support the review’s recommendation for an independent agency to ensure every Australian, business, and industry is doing the right thing for nature. Send a message to your local politician to help end Australia’s wildlife extinction crisis before it’s too late.", the WWF Australia webpage read.

Image: WWF Australia/Twitter