The Australian government has upgraded the conservation status of the koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) from ‘vulnerable’ to ‘endangered’ in the states of Queensland and New South Wales as well as the Australian Capital Territory.
Causes behind upgradation
- The koala has suffered greatly in recent years due to habitat loss, disease and most of all, bushfires.
- Chlamydia, a bacterial disease, has wrought havoc on koala populations by forming cysts inside breeding adults, leading to infertility.
- The bushfire season of 2019-20, known in Australia as ‘Black Summer’ killed billions of animals and organisms.
What are koalas?
- Koalas are the cute marsupial that is the very symbol of Australia.
- According to fossil records, Koala species have inhabited parts of Australia for at least 25 million years. But today, only one species remains — the Phascolarctos cinereus.
- They are found in the wild in the southeast and eastern sides of Australia — in coastal Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria.
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