A fire that has been raging for months has killed at least 500 million animals in New South Wales, Australia. The death toll is expected to rise in the coming weeks. News CNBC.
Environmentalists at the University of Sydney have estimated that about 480 million mammals, birds and reptiles have died since last September. They fear the actual number could rise further.
Extensive forests have been reduced to ashes in wildfires in southeastern Australia. There is a scene of destruction all around. More than 1,300 homes have been destroyed and 9 million acres of forest have been destroyed by wildfires caused by record-breaking temperatures and droughts. It killed 20 people; At least a dozen Australians are still missing.
The wildfires of the last few days have taken on more deadly proportions and several species of animals in Australia are under threat of extinction. Photos and videos of various burnt koalas have been seen circulating through social media. In addition, many dead animals were found lying on the ground. Pictures and videos of kangaroos scurrying to escape the blaze have been seen. Experts say the fire has killed millions of animals, including koalas, walabi (small species of kangaroos), ombats and kangaroos.
Environmentalists at the University of Sydney said in a statement on Friday that most of the animals had died from direct burns. Others have died in food crises, habitat loss, and cat species such as tigers and predators such as red foxes.
About 34 species and subspecies have become extinct in Australia in the last 200 years. Koalas have been facing more disasters in recent times due to wildfires. As per the government, 30 per cent of the koalas in the affected areas could die.
Australia's Union Environment Minister Susan Lee told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) last week that more than 30 per cent of koalas in the region could die as more than 30 per cent of habitats burn in the area affected by the fire. Once the fire is extinguished and proper calculations are done, we will be able to know the details about the damage.
Environmentalists say at least 8,000 koalas could die after wildfires begin; Because it is very difficult for this slow moving animal to escape from the fire. Australia's Port Macquarie Koala Hospital has launched a GoFundMe page to help spread images of burnt koalas. The hospital has received more than ২০ 2 million in grants since last September. However, the treatment of a large number of injured koalas is insufficient.
