Three quarters of Australian animals face extinction.

Australia’s most iconic animal- the koala - is possibly joining the extinction list. A scientist has warned that 75% of Australia’s animals, birds and other species may go through an “extinction event that’s equivalent to the loss of the dinosaurs”. One of the most obvious factors that has contributed to species extinction in the animal kingdom has been climate change.

Dr. Corey Bradshaw, Professor of Ecology at Finders University commented that the addition of the koala on the extinction list has highlighted the impact of climate change becoming more imminent. He noted that, “most animals decline towards extinction, they don’t go for a single reason”.

The koala is a species that has had its habitat destroyed through deforestation and bushfires. In 2019, it was recorded that bushfires have killed around three billion animals and hastened extinction for some species.

Dr. Bradshaw explained that the recurring disasters that have been happening do not give enough time for the wildlife to recover, stating: -

“The frequency of extreme events that become the problem. It’s like you smack them on the head and they have time to heal; and then you smack them again, they’re still going to be around. But if you smack them again and again, the chance of survival is much lower.”

According to the latest report from Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC), the world has increased in temperature by 1.1 celsius, where Australia has increased by a higher rate at 1.4 celsius. Based on the current climate pledges, the IPCC expected that global temperature will rise more than 1.5 celsius within the next 20 years.

Dr. Bradshaw said that “with climate change there’s no way we’re going to stop 2 degrees of warming and it’s looking more like 3 degrees or even 4 degrees by the end of the century which from a biodiversity perspective is absolutely catastrophic. At the rate we’re going we’ll lose 75 per cent of our species in a couple of hundred years potentially causing an extinction event that’s equivalent to the loss of the dinosaurs 66 million years ago.”

The Federal Government has listed the koala as a “vulnerable species”. Deborah Tarbart, the chair of Australian Koala Foundation (AKF) has suspected that the future of the species is even more bleak than that. As per data given by the AKF, the koala population has shrunk by 30% since 2018. As of date, there may be only around 32,000 to 58,000 koalas left in the wild. While the Government states that the koala population are as high as half a million, AKF contends that its numbers are more reliable.

The numbers are broken down by federal electorates with just two, Mayo, south of Adelaide, and Corangamite close to Geelong, now having more than 5000 koalas. Another 24 electorates have fewer than 100 koalas left.

Ms. Tarbart has said: -

“There used to be five electorates with more than 5000 animals and now there’s only two and it’s shocking that it’s happened in just three years. I don’t like to use the word extinct because I think it takes hope away. But it’s clear koalas are under threat, there’s no question they’re in trouble.”

Dr. Bradshaw emphasizes that whether the animal is extinct is not up for debate but he suggests that what is important is that “most of their native habitats have been cleared, they’ve been highly fragmented by roads and property development. Then you’ve got a lot of genetic problems and diseases and then the ones that survive that get taken out by dogs and hit by cars. Add bushfires, and there’s not a lot of long term hope for that species in particular. Add bushfires, and there’s not a lot of long term hope for that species in particular.”

Other species are also at risk. They include burrowing crayfish, and tiny lobsters that live in wet soils which could be wiped out due to higher temperatures. In addition to this list is the pygmy possum who hibernates in snowy heights of the Victoria Alps.

Basha Stasak, the Australian Conversation Foundation nature program manager commented: -

“Along with habitat destruction and invasive species, climate change is one of the biggest threats to Australia’s natural environment”.

Ms. Stasak contends that in order for change to happen, what needs to happen is the reformation of national environment laws. Other than reforming the environmental laws, the AKF’s envisions to create a new initiative called the “Great Koala Trail”, which is an unbroken koala habitat stretching 2443 kilometres from Cairns to Adelaide.

Ms. Tarbart said that while much of the habitats were broken up, vegetation could be planted to bridge the gap. While under a warmer world species are still more at risk, she states that there is still hope for the species to recover.

Courtesy of Arial Ng.