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| Photo: Internet |
The bushfires raging across Australia have already killed at least 350 koalas, according to a spokesperson for the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital, who cited an increased risk of extinction for the species in an interview with CNN.
“Approximately 75% of the bushfire area is part of koala habitat,” the spokesperson said. “This tragedy has devastated one of the most genetically diverse koala populations in the world.”
The hospital has started a GoFundMe campaign to raise money to help the rescued animals. The page has already raised more than $1.6 million in donations.
Before the fires, the total koala population in Australia was estimated to be between 40,000 and 100,000. This was considerably lower than it was a few years ago.
In addition to natural disasters, koalas have also been decimated by deforestation, car accidents and dog attacks. Meanwhile, more than 2.5 million koalas have been killed for the international fur trade alone in recent years.
