Koalas are officially endangered in parts of Australia after falling victim to disease, drought and fires.
The number of marsupials found in New South Wales has fallen by as much as 61% since 2001 and the koala population has halved in Queensland. The catastrophic 2019-20 bushfires were the final straw, hitting at the heart of struggling populations with scientists warning that they could become extinct by 2050 if urgent action to save them is not taken.
But despite such a stark message about their future, hundreds have been killed or injured and left for dead during logging of blue gum plantations. Footage obtained by Australian TV’s Seven Network shows koalas clinging to and being thrown from falling trees.
Injured koalas were taken to Kangaroo Island Wildlife Network, a volunteer organisation that rescues and rehabilitates injured and sick animals. The network’s president, Katie Welz said 21 had to be euthanised last week due to the severity of their injuries.
“We have koalas being injured, orphaned, displaced and killed by logging practices on a weekly basis and we are frustrated and astounded at the lack of guidance from government on this issue,” she said.
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She described injuries including broken skulls, jaws, arms and hips and said the images were “so shocking and intolerable that they demand a pause to logging operations”. The Australian Government and RSPCA inspectors are now investigating. The South Australian deputy premier described the images as “horrific.
Koala welfare is a contentious issue. While it is listed as endangered by extinction in New South Wales, Queensland and the ACT, it was considered a pest on Kangaroo Island before the bushfires, which burned half the island. The blue gums are being removed in part for agricultural use but because they are also considered a high fire risk.
But the bushland that surrounds these plantations is still recovering from the bushfires and cannot support the influx of koalas from the felled plantations meaning many more will starve to death. The logging must stop until a plan can be put in place to protect the welfare of not just the koalas but also the other native species that reside in these trees.
As habitat loss and disease continues to plague mainland koalas, scientists have signalled the Kangaroo Island population as the potential “saviour of the species”. As Australia faces extinction of its national icon, the importance of these isolated koalas has never been more important.
To donate to Kangaroo Island Wildlife Network go to: kiwildlifenetwork.com
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