Hundreds of koalas perish as Australia bushfires rage – “This is just a national tragedy”
By Amy Woodyatt
30 October 2019
(CNN) – More than 350 koalas are feared to have been killed by bushfires in Australia’s New South Wales state, animal experts say.
The blazes — which have been burning near the coastal township of Port Macquarie since Monday — have destroyed more than 2,000 hectares (4,492 acres) of koala heartland, CNN affiliate 9News reported.
Local animal experts Koala Hospital Port Macquarie said the fires have “decimated” the area, which is a key habitat and breeding ground for the creatures.
As few as 43,000 of the marsupials are left in the wild in Australia, according to the Australian Koala Foundation (AFK).
Listed by the Australian government as “vulnerable,” the tree-dwelling creatures are in serious decline due to habitat destruction, bushfires, road accidents and dog attacks, the AFK says.
“So far over two thirds of the current footprint of the fire is prime koala habitat (or was),” Koala Hospital Port Macquarie said in a statement on Facebook. [more]
Hundreds of koalas feared dead as Australian bushfires rage
Koalas in their hundreds feared dead in bushfires south of Port Macquarie
By Luisa Rubbo and Melissa Martin
30 October 2019
(ABC Mid North Coast) – Hundreds of koalas are believed to have perished in a bushfire that has ripped through a large area of critical koala habitat, south of Port Macquarie in New South Wales.
Staff from the Koala Hospital in Port Macquarie are unable to access the area because it remains off limits due to the continuing intensity of the blaze.
“I think this is just a national tragedy that we potentially have lost an enormous population of animals in the past 24 hours,” hospital clinical director Cheyne Flanagan said.
Ms Flanagan said it was likely at least 350 koalas had died, based on the overall size of the current fire footprint, which is two-thirds of the koala habitat, and a 60 per cent mortality rate.
“Twenty years worth of work at the place. I just feel like walking away, I really do, I’m not going to, but it’s just awful,” she said.
The fire razed an area south of Port Macquarie that is considered critical koala habitat.
First little koala we’ve seen in ages and the poor little bugger’s dead. I love the koalas and we’ve just been losing them over a period of time, so to finally see one and the poor little sod’s burnt like that is just so sad.
Cheyne Flanagan, clinical director at Koala Hospital in Port Macquarie
The fire has so far burnt out more than 2,000 hectares of bushland and is continuing to spread.
The Koala Hospital has worried about the potential for this scale of destruction since 2002.
“That area houses the most significant population of koalas in this region,” Ms Flanagan said.
Herman Kruse came across a dead koala near the Lake Innes Nature Reserve and said it was heartbreaking to see.
“First little koala we’ve seen in ages and the poor little bugger’s dead,” he said.
“I love the koalas and we’ve just been losing them over a period of time, so to finally see one and the poor little sod’s burnt like that is just so sad,” Mr Kruse said. […]
A north coast ecologist said the recent spate of bushfires across northern NSW represents a nightmare scenario for koalas.
Stephen Phillips said thousands of hectares of key koala habitat had been lost in recent fires around Rappville, Wardell, Port Macquarie, and Forster.
Dr Phillips said it was likely 60 to 70 per cent of the breeding populations in those areas had perished.
“You’re left with a very small group that survive,” he said. [more]
Koalas in their hundreds feared dead in bushfires south of Port Macquarie
