Published 12:56 IST, December 31st 2019
Wildlife experts estimate millions of animals killed in Australia bushfires
Wildlife experts expects that millions of animals have been killed by the severe Australian bushfires that have grappled the country, according to the reports.
Wildlife experts have estimated that millions of animals have been killed by the severe Australian bushfires that have grappled the country through more than four million hectares across five states, according to the reports. The authorities do not have an exact count on how many animals have died due to the widespread wildfires. A lot of flora and fauna have been affected in Australia which is home to a lot of species like kangaroos, koalas, wallabies, possums, wombats, and echidnas.
The experts believe that the koalas are affected the most which is estimated to be 30 per cent. A volunteer at Wildlife Information, Rescue and Education Services, Tracy Burgess said that they are concerned about the rescuers not able to find any animals as they expected.
Inquiry conducted
An inquiry was conducted in New South Wales, Australia to study the population of the Koala and it has been found that more than 2,000 of the native Australian koalas may have died on the state's north coast in the intense bushfires. The upper house inquiry of the state's parliament will conduct an urgent hearing on December 9 to discuss the widespread damage of the koala population from the bushfires. Thousands of hectares of koala habitat across northern NSW and southeast Queensland have been ravaged in the recent bushfires. Koalas have been identified as endangered species in Queensland, NSW and it is largely due to habitat clearing.
Loss of Koalas is a matter of concern
President and Ecologist Dailan Pugh, of North East Forest Alliance, is set to provide evidence on Monday that more than 2,000 koalas have died so far and up to one-third of koala habitat on the north coast of the state may have fleed due to rapid bushfires. Sue Ashton, president of Port Macquarie Koala Hospital expected that around 350 koalas would have died in a bushfire in Crestwood situated on the state's mid-north coast. It is based on a predicted 60 per cent mortality rate.
Updated 12:56 IST, December 31st 2019