Koala Named as Endangered Animals in Australia

Koalas were named as endangered animals on Friday in Australia due to several diseases, wildfires that destroyed their habitats, ABC Website reported.

The status of this type of animal were announced by the Federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley as she passed conservation across the whole of Australia.

Previously, they were declared as vulnerable species as several koalas suffer from chlamydia which caused the number of koalas by 33% in South Wales.

On the other hand, the populations of the wild animal dropped by almost 50% in Queensland due to deforestation, wildfires, and drought.

Stuart Blanch, a conservation scientist at the World Wildlife Fund Australia, said: “Koalas have gone from no-listing to vulnerable to endangered within a decade. That is a shockingly fast decline."

He added: “Today’s decision is welcome, but it won’t stop koalas from sliding toward extinction unless it’s accompanied by stronger laws and landholder incentives to protect their forest homes."

The Australian Koala Foundation revealed that only 100,000 Koalas are left in the wild.

"There have been many pressures on the koala. The Black Summer fires, of course, were a tipping point. But we know the koala is vulnerable to climate change and to disease," the Australian minister said.

In the same context, Deborah Tabart, chair of the Australian Koala Foundation, described the decision as “nothing but a token gesture."

She added: “Behind all the photo opportunities and political rhetoric they (the federal government) continue to approve the destruction of koala habitat."