Australia govt announces $34m for fire-hit wildlife

The Australian government has pledged 50 million dollars (approx. 34 million US dollars) to help restore and protect the country's wildlife which has been devastated by wildfires.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said on Monday that the fires have been an "ecological disaster".

He spoke as he visited a koala hospital in the New South Wales state town of Port Macquarie.

The conservation group WWF-Australia estimates that 1.25 billion wild animals have died during the fires.

The majority of estimated losses were reptiles, followed by birds, then mammals such as koalas, kangaroos, wallabies, echidnas and wombats.

WWF estimates there were between 100,000 and 200,000 koalas across Australia before the fire season.

Estimated koala losses in the current emergency include 25,000 on Kangaroo Island off southern Australia and 8,000 in northwest New South Wales.