Koalas: Endangered Species

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Koalas Endangered Species
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Endangered Facts

• Population decline from 400,000 down to about
  40,000-80,000 koalas.
• The number of koalas have dropped 90 in 9 years!
• At least two thirds of their habitat has been
  cleared, and the population continues to decline.

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Why Threatened?

• Originally pressure came from hunting.
• The fur trade played a vital role in koalas being
  endangered.
• Now the casual factors for their endangerment
  continue to be habitat loss and human
  interference.

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How are they endangered?

• Roads and vehicles-sometimes marsupials
  (including the koala) have babies (joeys) in
  their pouches when they are hit by vehicles.
• Fruit nets-nets draped to protect fruitskoalas
  can get tangled and caught in them.
• Incorrect feeding.
• Shooting and hunting
• Pet dogs

• Loss of habitat-koala needs are very specificit
  is very difficult for them to adapt to changes.
• Pollution
• Introduced and Feral animals
• Poisons.
• Chlamydia (dirty tailwet bottom
  disease)-common disease among koalas.

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What can we do?

• Encourage planting of eucalypt trees-only 10 of
  eucalypt species are Koala food trees.
• Further research in Koala diseases and health
  problems
• Insisting that further developments do not put
  Koala populations at risk.
• Tightening dog ownership laws.
• Linking existing and potential habitats with tree
  corridors.