Koalas in Dander, but not Endangered

New South Wales, Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory have agreed to provide greater protection one of the country’s most beloved animal, the koala. Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke announced that the animal will now be classified as vulnerable.

The Threatened Species Scientific Committee has found that the koala population dropped at an alarming rate of 40 percent in Queensland in the last 20 years. The number in NSW has fallen by 33 percent. The committee held a three-year scientific monitoring and assessment.

Burke said that the population of koalas significantly dropped across Australia. He added that the animals continue to face threats like vehicle strikes, urban explosion, diseases, dog attacks, etc. Some areas in the country also showed a much faster decline in koala population.

Under the protection, developers would need to account for koala listing before applying for business papers. Burke said that the government will provide a funding of $300,000 to study more on the habitat of koalas.

Although three states have offered greater protection for koalas, Victoria and South Australia have yet to announce their moves. The Federal Environment Minister said koalas in these two states have shown that the animals were eating themselves out because unsuitable foraging habitat.

Koalas are part of the Phascolarctidae family and are native to Australia. They are usually found in the coastal regions of southern and eastern Australia. Government statistics peg the number of koalas in the country at 80,000 to 100,000.

In the early 20th century, koalas almost became extinct because of massive hunting. Koalas were hunted for their fur, a trade that flourished in Europe and the United States.

Tagged koala, Tony Burke