Desperate effort to save koalas

In what has been identified as the worst bush fire in the history of the country, the Australian Government has assured monetary and other assistance to protect and support wildlife affected by the bushfire crisis. The Federal Government announced that $50 million will be released immediately.

The World Wide Fund for Nature-Australia (WWF) estimates more than 1.25 billion animals mainly koalas, may have been killed directly or indirectly from fires that have burnt over 10 million hectares across Australia.

WWF has welcomed the Government announcement of the funds but warned the funding will not meet the recovery needs of Australia’s threatened species.

The initial investment in wildlife and habitat recovery was announced by two Ministers during a visit to Port Macquarie Koala Hospital where the injured animals are receiving treatment.

WWF-Australia CEO Dermot O’Gorman said the announcement was an important first step and stressed the Government would need to go further amid fears the fires may have tipped some species to the brink of extinction.

“The impact of these bushfires on people and nature is unprecedented and the recovery and restoration work ahead is immense. It is critical that state and federal governments, environmental organisations, community groups and volunteers come together to restore what has been lost,” said O’Gorman.

Thanking the Australian Government for their commitment to wildlife response, he said that this support will provide a great start to help to respond to wildlife in need, restore critical habitat and deliver long-term conservation solutions. However, more funding will be required to help the threatened species recover, he added. Commenting on Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s announcement committing $2 billion for the restoration of wildlife and wild places, he said that the country will need a much larger wildlife and nature recovery funding commitment.

The heart-breaking loss includes thousands of precious koalas on the mid-north coast of New South Wales (NSW).  Other critically endangered species have had all or key parts of their habitat burned.

WWF-Australia has called for global support to establish a WWF $30 million Australian Wildlife and Nature Recovery Fund to respond to affected wildlife and mobilise interventions that protect and restore habitats.