It may be too late to save the beloved koala after bushfires wiped out their natural habitat and killed thousands of their population, an expert claims.
Deborah Tabart OAM, chairman of the Australian Koala Foundation, estimated over 1000 koalas may have been killed in the last two months from deforestation and bushfires.
She said this this left the marsupials ‘functionally extinct’.
The bushfires that continue to devastate NSW and Queensland have also destroyed 80 per cent of the koala’s natural habitat.
Deborah Tabart OAM (pictured), chairman of the Australian Koala Foundation said the beloved marsupial is ‘functionally extinct’ as a result of deforestation and bushfires
Ms Tabart estimated over 1000 koalas may have been killed in the last two months, leaving their population below 80,000
‘Functionally extinct’ refers to a species whose population has declined to the point where it can no longer play a significant role in their ecosystem.
‘If we combine all of the estimated deaths of koalas in the bushfires, there could be 1000 koalas that have been killed in the last two months,’ Ms Tabart told Daily Mail Australia.
‘We know there are 31 koalas that have been killed in Port Macquarie, but I think that is not a high enough number.’
She estimated at least 350 koalas may have been killed in the Port Macquarie bushfires alone.
Places such as Crows Nest and Lake Toowoomba have also had significant fires and though no death toll has been confirmed.
Ms Tabart believes many koalas may have died there as well.
‘We think there are 18000 koalas in NSW alone, so the bushfires have had a massive impact on their population.’
The bushfires that continue to devastate NSW and Queensland have also destroyed 80 per cent of the koala’s natural habitat
‘If we combine all of the estimated deaths of koalas in the bushfires, there could be 1000 koalas that have been killed in the last two months,’ Ms Tabart told Daily Mail Australia
Sadly, even if koalas survive the bush fires, they are still at risk.
‘Because of deforestation and now the bushfires, there is so little habitat left and trees with eucalyptus take months to grow back,’ Ms Tabart said.
There may not be significant rain in 25 years, especially in the western parts of NSW, so their habitat will struggle to recover.
Ms Tabart urged the government to take action to protect koalas and has called on the Prime Minister to enact the Koala Protection act, which was written in 2016.
‘They are equivalent to the Great Barrier Reef. Everyone wants to touch a koala, so you would think the government would want to do something to save them,’ she said.
‘The plight of the Koala now falls on the Prime Minister’s shoulders.’
Sadly, even if koalas survive the bush fires, they are still at risk as there is so little habitat left and trees with eucalyptus take months to grow back (stock image)
There may not be significant rain in 25 years, especially in the western parts of NSW, so their habitat will struggle to recover (stock image)
In the wake of the bushfires, koala hospital has raised more than $1million to help injured animals.
The campaign launched by Port Macquarie Koala Hospital aimed to raise money to buy automatic drinking stations for animals living in areas devastated by fires.
The initial fundraising goal was $25,000, but $1.146million has now been raised from more than 25,500 donations.
Donations started to pour in after Toni Doherty was recorded running into an out-of-control bushfire in the New South Wales town of Long Flat to save an injured koala, named Ellenborough Lewis.
In the wake of the bushfires, koala hospital has raised more than $1million to help injured animals
Donations started to pour in after Toni Doherty (pictured) was recorded running into an out-of-control bushfire in the New South Wales town of Long Flat to save an injured koala, named Ellenborough Lewis
Footage showed the koala, who had patches of fur missing, running close to the fires before Mrs Doherty poured bottles of water onto him and wrapped him up in a blanket.
‘It was vulnerable, all I could think to do was to try and rescue him,’ she told Channel Nine’s Today.
‘We just jumped out and I knew I needed to put something around him as I ran to the tree so I just took off my shirt and covered him with it and tried to get him out of the fire.’
Mrs Doherty said she could feel the heat radiating off Lewis as he screamed in pain.
As of Thursday, more than 50 fires are burning in NSW with total fire bans in several regions including the Illawarra and Shoalhaven (pictured: bushfire in Angourie, northern NSW)
About 70 fires are burning across Queensland with no end in sight to the crisis. Meanwhile, Victoria has a total fire ban in place across the state and has declared Code Red conditions (pictured: bushfire in Port Macquarie)
As of Thursday, more than 50 fires are burning in NSW with total fire bans in several regions including the Illawarra and Shoalhaven.
About 70 fires are burning across Queensland with no end in sight to the crisis.
Meanwhile, Victoria has a total fire ban in place across the state and has declared Code Red conditions.
Anyone who finds an injured animal is urged to seek immediate action and take them to a vet.