Koalas face extinction

[thedigger]

Couple years ago a big brute attacked me in front of home,I got claws in the throat and the stomach.
The doctor me he had seen patients that very bad attacks.

 

[Gem in I]

Carrots they love carrots like like like a kid with red cordial cordial cordial

 

[Jaros]

Not very appropriate Chiron.

 

[Deepseeker]

I remember as a kid, we went to Phillip Island here in Victoria, and in the early 70's you could pull over into a roadside reserve and look up and easily see multiple Koalas. The Phillip Island population though was originally introduced from the mainland I think in the 1800's or early 1900's, but because the foliage was pretty much the same they took to it and made it home, breeding in the wild freely.

Into the 2000's you couldn't see a free-roaming Koala along the roadside no matter how hard you looked, the only ones being in special reserves for them. We went there for a holiday about six or seven years ago, and took the kids on bikes for a ride past the reserve where there are supposed to be some. We were slowly riding along when all of a sudden I spied some movement way up high in one of the taller gum trees. I pointed out to everyone "Look there, there's one!". Only to see the bloody thing let go and fall to the ground with a thump! Apparently it's not unusual for them to get down this way, but I somehow don't think it meant to fall quite so far. Most of the others have been wiped out by chlamydia and road kill. I saw some figures on it once, and for every Koala born there was something like two or three that died by either disease or cars.

 

[Jaros]

We used to stop at the same place. Very hard to spot a bear.

 

[RM Outback]

Not just Koalas as the title suggests here is a link to Australian Geographic with the article focusing on the feral cats and foxes, sad but true.

https://www.australiangeographic.com.au/topics/wildlife/2020/01/feral-cats-are-taking-advantage-of-the-ecological-crisis-caused-by-the-bushfires/

 

[Bjay]

Unfortunately all these other animals, reptiles and insects dont sell news stories like a supposedly cuddly stoned koala.

 

[user 4386]

For those actually concerned, less than 15% of Australia's koalas live in the areas recently affected by fire, perhaps less than 10% - the population is probably at least a couple of hundred thousand still (unless you believe the Australia Koala Foundation when they ask you for a donation).

Obviously accurate numbers prior to the fires are unknown. Koalas may have never made it to Tasmania in significant numbers, and are quite negligible now. The Australia Koala Foundation (that estimates not more than 100,000 for Australia) is probably an unreliable source - they are a private organisation that depends on public donations for their existence, and they made some very wild claims in their early days at least. The South Australia Natural Resources regional director Brenton Grear "says the Mt Lofty Ranges population estimates are solid" at 150,000. Only half the 50,000 on Kangaroo island have died, and koalas will eat the local melaleuca if they have no choice. the federal Department of Environment and Energy told 7NEWS.com.au that current estimates of the Australia-wide koala population were about 329,000 animals. State government figures are 23,000 for Queensland and 36,000m NSW but "are less abundant there than in the southern states". Those in the southeast of NSW are mostly in a thin coastal strip extending south from Bermagui and not yet affected by fires. "Koala numbers in south-west Victoria are soaring, with conservationists (eg Field naturalists) saying local gum trees are housing more than 100,000 of the furry marsupials" (and of course there are major populations further east to well east of Melbourne, and a significant chlamydia-free one on French Island from which they are being translocated and sterilised - 440 sterilised or moved last year). Koala distribution in the part of Victoria currently impacted is low, most occurring in the forests farther west, and negligible in the high alpine country and also the coastal eastern regions that are much of the recently-burnt area.

So koala Armageddon seems unlikely, but other species may have been hit.

 

[user 4386]

I remember as a kid, we went to Phillip Island here in Victoria, and in the early 70's you could pull over into a roadside reserve and look up and easily see multiple Koalas. The Phillip Island population though was originally introduced from the mainland I think in the 1800's or early 1900's, but because the foliage was pretty much the same they took to it and made it home, breeding in the wild freely.

Into the 2000's you couldn't see a free-roaming Koala along the roadside no matter how hard you looked, the only ones being in special reserves for them. We went there for a holiday about six or seven years ago, and took the kids on bikes for a ride past the reserve where there are supposed to be some. We were slowly riding along when all of a sudden I spied some movement way up high in one of the taller gum trees. I pointed out to everyone "Look there, there's one!". Only to see the bloody thing let go and fall to the ground with a thump! Apparently it's not unusual for them to get down this way, but I somehow don't think it meant to fall quite so far. Most of the others have been wiped out by chlamydia and road kill. I saw some figures on it once, and for every Koala born there was something like two or three that died by either disease or cars.

Only a few score left on Phillip Island but heaps of them on adjacent French Island.

 

[panther]

Our area is suffering from drought and the trees have lost most of their foliage.
A local carer said that Koalas in our area are all starving. We have had a Koala living in a tree beside the house for quite some time and I found him just sitting on the ground a couple of days ago. Called the Carers and she said it looked as if he had fallen, maybe due to starvation or age. She took him to the Koala Hospital but not sure we will see him again. He had been moving around 'his' trees normally the past week but he usually slept in the same tree. Whatever happened to him, happened quickly.
I hope he comes back. He is part of the family.

I'm near Gatton QLD.

 

[Goldtarget]

Hmmmm....not sure if I should post this here or in the Climate change thread

https://www.kullillaart.com.au/dreamtime-stories/Koobor-the-Koala-The-Drought-Maker

Who would have guessed Koala was on the menu? Cant imagine it would be much good...Couldnt boil one, it would float on the water.

 

[Danny13]

I can remember a few years back when they were very concerned that the population of koalas on Kangaroo Island was getting out of hand. They were talking about relocating a bunch of them to the mainland but decided not to as they are a different genre. Euthanizing was also considered but I can't remember what they finally agreed to do.

Maybe this he lped the situation out now.

Cheers

Doug

Yeah they ended up smuggling them to the forests around Tathra and then declared the areas national park .

 

[Teemore]

Mosses only had one pair......Apparently
They will recover imo.

Err... most blokes I'm sure have only one pair (some 'women' have also been quoted as having a pair).

Oh .. you mean animals as in 2 by 2 .... think the unicorns missed out.

Cheers T.

 

[Teemore]

Let's get real .... photos of cute wildlife being nursed back to "health" equals $$$$$$$ for the wildlife organisations, most of which probably ends up in greenie endorsed administration rather than actually helping the animals.
Likewise headlines about possible extinction lead the government to being forced to provide funds so they won't be seen as unsympathetic, again most funds will lead to keeping academics employed.

As for nursing kangaroos back to health, major BS, yes it looks good and makes the city greenies feel warm and fuzzy BUT isn't it less stressful to just euthanise them rather than putting them through the stress of being continuously handled, probed, bandaged, injected etc etc. It's not as though they're even close to extinction anywhere. (they taste good on the BBQ as well).

Cheers T.