Though there are some koala sanctuaries and reserves, many live on private, unprotected land. Wildlife hospitals, rescue organizations, zoos, and volunteers have stepped up to care for injured koalas, with the goal of rehabilitating and releasing them back into the wild.Įnsuring there’s the right kind of forest for them to return to is a priority. Koalas lost substantial portions of their habitat in the 2019-2020 bushfire season and have been identified by the Australian government as one of 113 animals requiring urgent help. Chlamydia is widespread in some koala populations and can cause blindness, infertility, and sometimes death. They’re also at risk of getting hit by cars and attacked by dogs. Predators include dingoes and large owls. In response to drought, koalas are forced to stop napping and come down from the trees to find water, spending precious energy and putting them at a higher risk of predation. Increasing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is decreasing the nutritional quality of eucalyptus leaves (which is already quite low) and causing longer, more intense droughts and wildfires. Koalas are listed as vulnerable by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, which has named the species one of 10 animals most vulnerable to climate change. Koalas need a lot of space-about a hundred trees per animal-a pressing problem as Australia's woodlands continue to shrink. Land clearing, logging, and bushfires-especially the devastating 2019-2020 season-have destroyed much of the forest they live in. Now they face serious threats from habitat loss. Koala numbers plummeted in the late 19th and early 20th century from hunting for their fur. They eat so much eucalyptus that they often take on its smell. Koalas can even store leaves in their cheek pouches for later. Koalas usually don’t drink much water as they get most of their moisture from these leaves. Tucked into forks or nooks in the trees, koalas may sleep for 18 to 22 hours. That’s why koalas sleep so much- they get very little energy from their diet. Eucalyptus is toxic, so the koala’s digestive system has to work hard to digest it, breaking down the toxins and extracting limited nutrients. Koalas can eat more than a pound of eucalyptus leaves a day. They rely on the eucalyptus tree for both habitat and food. When not sleeping, they’re usually eating. Koalas live in the eucalyptus forests of southeastern and eastern Australia. They have two toes, fused together, on their feet, which they use to comb their fur. They have two opposing thumbs on their hands, and both their feet and hands have rough pads and claws to grab onto branches. Though koalas look fuzzy, their hair is more like the coarse wool of a sheep. Often called the koala “bear,” this tree-climbing animal is a marsupial-a mammal with a pouch for the development of offspring. The koala is an iconic Australian animal. “Studies of climate change impacts on wildlife have often focused on how changes in average temperature or rainfall will affect species, but our research highlights the importance of thinking about the extreme conditions that will be most stressful for the animals – such as hot, dry periods – and how these may change in the future.Current Population Trend: Decreasing What is the koala? Lead author of the study Dr Natalie Briscoe (BA 2006, BSc(Hons) 2007, GCALL 2012, PhD 2014), from the School of BioSciences, says the findings could help in forecasting future impacts of climate change on biodiversity. The koala’s range across Australia was limited by water requirements for keeping cool, with the timing of rainfall and heat waves being crucial in limiting the area in which koalas live. They found that the climatically suitable area will be dramatically reduced by 2070, particularly in Queensland. The researchers mapped potential koala habitats in 2070 by using information about koala behaviour, physiology, body size and fur to predict how much energy and water the marsupials need to survive under the climate at a particular location. Using a detailed ecological model, researchers found hotter temperatures and altered rainfall patterns will make it more difficult for koalas to get the water they need – making inland populations vulnerable to heat-stress. A changing climate means that by 2070 koalas may no longer call large parts of inland Australia home, a University study has shown.
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