“In what is a national tragedy, the bushfires in and around Port Macquarie in November devastated a genetically diverse koala population,” Port Macquarie Koala Hospital said.
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“As many as 350 koalas have perished, with approximately 75% of the fireground footprint being prime koala habitat.”
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The hospital established a GoFundMe account to help affected koalas recuperate.
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The infernos have dealt a devastating blow to the koala population, which was already plummeting prior to this month’s wildfires.
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There are only about 40,000 to 100,000 koalas remaining after “uncontrolled habitat destruction,” decimated the population, according to the Australia Zoo.
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In addition to bushfires, habitat clearing, dog attacks and road accidents, more than 2.5 million koalas have been killed to supply the fur trade in America and Europe, the zoo said.
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Koalas are now considered endangered, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species.
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“We believe the wild population of koalas is critically threatened and in need of our protection,” the Australia Zoo said.
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The human toll from the wildfires has also been immense.
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Four people have died and hundreds of homes have been destroyed.
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In New South Wales, which is home to nearly 8 million people, wildfires have already burnt an area three times larger than during the entire fire season last year.
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The infernos are fueled by soaring temperatures, fierce winds and the worst drought in decades have fueled the wildfires. Even worse: Summer in Australia doesn’t even start until December 1.