This week there have been several bad bush-fires on the Mid-North coast of Australia. Many thousands of acres of forest have been burned. These forests were the main habitat of koalas on the East coast. It is estimated that about 350 koalas have died so far. A huge loss, and it will take many years for these animals to recover - if they ever do.
Koala deaths
- Thread starter Terry Thomas
- Start date
Found some articles about the tragedy for anyone interested:
"It's a national tragedy": Hundreds of koalas feared dead in massive Australian bushfire
Hundreds of koalas feared burned alive in out-of-control bushfire near Port Macquarie
"It's a national tragedy": Hundreds of koalas feared dead in massive Australian bushfire
Hundreds of koalas feared burned alive in out-of-control bushfire near Port Macquarie
Onychorhynchus coronatus
Well-Known Member
I'm sure that as climate change accelerates there is going to be a higher incidence of bushfires and therefore of more deaths of koalas and other marsupials.
A very grim thought to contemplate , far fewer koalas in the outback.
A very grim thought to contemplate , far fewer koalas in the outback.
Although only koalas were mentioned, there were many other species that also died in the fires, including possum species, glider species, rat species and ground marsupial species, grey kangaroos and wallaby spies. Then there were all of the insects, reptiles etc., etc.. A very bad happening. May I mention that koalas are not really found in what we call the outback, which is mainly very dry semi-desert, where none of the food trees are found.
Onychorhynchus coronatus
Well-Known Member
Of course and thank you , I shall remember that biome distinction in future.
Very sad news indeed , I hope that the population can recover to pre-fire levels in time.
Koalas are extremely overrated creatures and get too much funding and status when they should be NT or LC on the IUCN red list not vulnerable. In most parts of Victoria they are common sometimes less than an hour outside of Melbournes CBD. That’s not including French island which has thousands of disease free koalas.
worry about the small marsupials, reptiles, birds and other fauna, not the koalas.
Onychorhynchus coronatus
Well-Known Member
I'm not very knowledgeable about the Australian marsupials nor the monotremes but I worry about them both , but perhaps those that concern me more are the smaller marsupials without the charismatic and popular appeal of the Koala.
When I visited Tring museum in July and saw all the taxidermy specimens of extinct marsupials like the thylacine and lesser bilby it hit home just how vulnerable a lot of the Australasian fauna have been historically and still are to extinction.
That’s fine too I just am sick of living in a place where you have idiot protesters saying koalas are a critically endangered species when they can be located less than an hour away from a city over 5 million people infact sometimes they show up in some of the outer suburbs such as Ferntree gully.
yep the thylacane and lesser bilby they will be missed.
There’s a lot more than that let me get my Aussie mammals field guide out
here are the other extinct mammals and a bird
Pig footed bandicoot
Desert bandicoot
Nullarbor dwarf bettong
Desert rat kangaroo
Broad faced potoroo
Eastern hare wallaby
Central hare wallaby
Toolache wallaby
Crescent nail tail wallaby
Dusky flying fox
White footed rabbit rat
Long tailed hopping mouse
Short tailed hopping mouse
Big eared hopping mouse
Darling downs hopping mouse
Broad cheeked hopping mouse
Blue grey mouse
Gould’s mouse
Long eared mouse
Lesser stick nest rat
Paradise parrot
Possibly many more animals that I’m unsure of
Onychorhynchus coronatus
Well-Known Member
I dont know enough about the koala to comment on this, the IUCN categorisation as "vulnerable" seems at least to be adequate for the moment and animal rights activists often exaggerate and make wild extrapolations not based on scientifically rigorous estimates.
However, I dont think that their presence in anthropogenic environments necessarily rules them out as a highly threatened species. For example , in Brazil you have populations of the pied tamarin that exist within green areas in the city of Manaus and the species is most definitely an Endangered one.
I'm not saying that you are wrong about the koala and its conservation status being overrated. In fact I agree that it's conservation should not overshadow the conservation of other marsupial species, however, I think when it comes to species inhabiting anthropogenic environments this doesn't automatically mean they are not endangered. Habitat loss and conversion as a result of urbanization often cause populations to occur in such areas.
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im not denying that either. I still think it’s status should be downgraded to NT but all the ‘animal lovers’ will complain infact they are already attempting to get it EN. I’m not an expert on this but I do know a little bit.
Onychorhynchus coronatus
Well-Known Member
A lot of extinct species , but I'm sure the conservationists in Australia will not give up the fight to stop more joining the list. In fact , they are quite an inspiration for conservation efforts in other parts of the world.
yea some of them.
My area is covered by zoos Victoria so Orange bellied parrots, eastern barred bandicoots etc. however they have a bunch of rodent species on their list that they actually don’t do anything about which is kind of sad.
most of our conservationists aren’t really conservationists but just people bullshitting about koalas usually. But the ones that do make an effort are very good, a lot of species recognised and unrecognised have had serious benefits because of them.
my main gripe is of course the under representation of reptiles and small animals.
Onychorhynchus coronatus
Well-Known Member
I just had a look on the IUCN list and it seems that the greater bilby is currently considered to be "vulnerable" and therefore has the same conservation status as the Koala.
Totally empathise with your frustration , there is frequently a bias in conservation interventions towards the larger and more "cuddly" species that by implication often relegates other species as of being secondary concern even when they should be prioritized.
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Just because an animal is common doesn’t mean it isn’t threatened. One of the most common mammals that can be seen just about anywhere, at least in my area, is the grey headed flying fox, which is currently vulnerable on the IUCN list.
Despite them being insanely common, grey headed flying foxes have been dropping out of the sky dead from starvation recently in Australia due to the drought and bushfires. The drought and bushfires have prevented trees the flying foxes rely on for food from flowering and producing fruit, therefore causing the bats to starve.
Another example are the Green Sea and Loggerhead Turtles. These turtles are extremely common in some areas despite them being endangered, and I think we an all agree these two species are in urgent need of help.
Just because an animal is common and can be easily seen doesn’t mean they don’t need help from conservation. After all, the most common bird to have existed in recent years is now extinct.
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Onychorhynchus coronatus
Well-Known Member
Good point about the passenger pigeon
I never said I think the koala should receive no funding or public attention, I’m just saying that it receives way too much.
I also disagree when it comes to sea turtles being endangered too, I think VU would be a more appropriate status for green sea turtles.
the difference between these two animals and the grey headed flying fox (I’m guessing you live in melbourne too) is that the grey headed flying fox receives way less help than animals that are not as threatend than it is, if you asked 100 people of a melbourne street and showed them a picture of a koala anywhere from 95-100 would recognise it. With the grey headed flying fox most would just dismiss it as an ugly fruit bar.
I never said you did, I was just trying to prove that just because a species is common doesn’t necessarily mean it isn’t in dangerous of becoming extinct.
I disagree, sea turtles have been rapidly declining due to a wide range of reasons and their populations are nowhere near what they were previously.
No, I don’t live in Melbourne, I live in South East Queensland.
What are some examples of less threatened species that get more attention than Grey headed flying foxes? Not saying there aren’t any, just want to know of some examples.
Also, your notion that if people stopped promoting koala conservation, other species would gain more conservation awareness simply isn’t true. Just because a member of the general public stops thinking about and valuing koala conservation doesn’t necessarily mean they will start thinking about and valuing another, lesser known animals conservation.
Onychorhynchus coronatus
Well-Known Member
If I'm correct, I believe that Yoshitar isn't suggesting that koala conservation shouldn't be promoted but rather that this should not overshadow funding or media attention given to the conservation of lesser known species of Australian small mammals and reptiles.
Again , I think his comment is more a constructive criticism regarding that media attention , public interest/ concern and economic resources for conservation interventions that are currently directed to the more "charismatic" species such as koalas.
I think that what he is suggesting is that this societal tendency should be re-assessed / re-calibrated / re-examined and that in an ethical sense the concern and resources should also be extended to species and biodiversity as a whole that are not currently afforded these.
As an outsider looking in , ( admittedly I am not so knowledgeable about conservation in Australia or the continent's fauna) I think his premise is largely correct and what he says is in someways pertinent.
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Today I woke up to this article:
Koalas ‘Functionally Extinct’ After Australia Bushfires Destroy 80% Of Their Habitat
Are both the death toll number and the habitat loss estimate accurate? I find it hard to believe that 80% of all koala habitat, an area the length of the US eastern seaboard went up in flames in 1-2 months.
Koalas ‘Functionally Extinct’ After Australia Bushfires Destroy 80% Of Their Habitat
Are both the death toll number and the habitat loss estimate accurate? I find it hard to believe that 80% of all koala habitat, an area the length of the US eastern seaboard went up in flames in 1-2 months.