Australia officially declares koalas endangered: a national plan to save them

The koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) was officially announced In danger of extinction by the Australian government. creative marsupials It is categorized as vulnerable (symbol VU) in 2012, after a continuous decline in population; The decision was supposed to lead the governments of Queensland, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory to take targeted solutions to protect these people. the animalsBut not much has been done since then. This laxity is coordinated with the constant Destruction of natural habitatsThe devastating fireseffects of weather changes and the Chlamydia spread that sterilizes more than 80 percent of positive samples, has led to further population collapse, leading to the need to classify koalas as endangered, with the aim of introducing new and concrete measures storage.

The decision was made by the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC Law) by the Australian Parliament, which has implemented the recommendations of the Committee of Experts on the protection of marsupials. Just last month, Prime Minister Morrison’s government committed $50 million to protect the iconic species, whose steady decline began in the late 19th century, from the arrival of large numbers of European settlers who wiped out about 99 percent of some specimens for making fur. Suffice it to say that before the massacre in Australia they were counted 8 million koalasThe 2019 estimate stopped at 80,000 copies, with an accuracy of 1 percent. This number was judged to be sufficient to classify these animals as “functionally extinct‘, that is, he is no longer able to play an important role inenvironmental system in which they live because of the small number. The devastating fires that hit Australia between late 2019 and early 2020 further decimated the population; It is believed that well 37 thousand samples He may have died on Kangaroo Island. Meanwhile, chlamydia, a sexually transmitted disease, is literally sterilizing survivors and is racing against time for Serum Safe and effective.

In the face of this collapse, official classification as an endangered species can no longer be postponed; Now, after the decision, a recovery plan of koalas nationwide by the government. “The impact of a prolonged drought, followed by severe summer wildfires, and the cumulative effects of disease, urbanization and habitat loss over the past 20 years have led to this decision,” I announced Australian Environment Minister Susan Lee. But the Minister is in the environmental crosshairs, not only for the lax shown in koala conservation, but also for the protection of the Great Barrier Reef, which is also in danger of disappearing. Because of climate change. In New South Wales it was noted that the koala They will be gone by 2050 If strong and tangible initiatives are not taken to protect the local population, the risk is also high in other states along Australia’s east coast. We hope that all necessary measures will be introduced through the national recovery plan so that this wonderful species can survive freely and wildly.