Here's hoping koalas get the protection they deserve and rebound from this. Heartbreaking.
Koalas are adorable and beloved. Imagine how many less obvious (or "gross") species in similar situations don't get articles written about them. That koala populations can plummet this far should be a clarion call about the state of things.
Don't reckon they're much different to other Australian wildlife and they're not cuddly like they appear or as many people like to make out.
From time to time when I was a kid my parents and relatives used to take me to places where one could cuddle them and I can tell you they're not very cuddly at all.
We tend to anthropomorphize cute animals with big eyes and I reckon that's not good for conservation overall as the ugly get less attention. Moreover, how animals appear isn't a good indicator of their nature. Another well-known example is the loris, it looks really cute but it's a very bad idea to pick one up as you'll get jabbed by its poisoned barb.
Best thing to do is to just look and leave them be. Koalas aren't the only animals suffering habitat loss, many are and it's a huge problem.
The extensive bushfires and droughts are definitely big factors.
I worked briefly for a forestry in rural Victoria, where we would encounter koalas somewhat frequently where we would plant trees, These are lots that would be planted completely and years later cut and burned.
Wonder what would be also the effects of this on them and wildlife in general.When I have seen Koalas in the wild they seemed very apathetic- saw one stay at the very top of a blue-gum (which famously can shed huge pieces without much warning) even during a storm.
The official numbers from the survey but no explanation of the methodology. Would be keen to know if these are reported sightings or some other mechanism
This is actually one of my favorite idiosyncratic policy initiatives. They are a pretty safe invasive species since they have only one food source that is already invasive, and as an added benefit, the Koalas would eat the leaves of Eucalyptus trees, reducing the fire risk.
> the Koalas would eat the leaves of Eucalyptus trees, reducing the fire risk
Sadly that won’t work. Koalas hardly make a dent in the consumption of eucalyptus trees. And on top of that, mature Eucalyptus leaves are extremely dry, so koalas will only eat the youngest shoots. So if they had any impact on the trees, it would be making them more flammable, not less.
Honestly, except for massive preservation efforts, Koalas are probably going to where Dodos went before them.
But not to worry, they'll be in very good company. The predatory ecosystem exploitation we've been living and breathing for quite some time now has put incredible strains on our whole life support system. Biological systems are amazingly resilient and this resilience has hidden much of the damage that has accumulated.
Unfortunately this has just made us disregard many of the warning signs that are flashing in front of our eyes. Food webs are collapsing, ecosystems get more and more fragmented and with increased fragmentation, failure in one part cannot be compensated for in another part.
Koalas are cute, so they get the publicity. That's good I guess. But let's not pretend that it's only koalas.
Readit News
Koalas are adorable and beloved. Imagine how many less obvious (or "gross") species in similar situations don't get articles written about them. That koala populations can plummet this far should be a clarion call about the state of things.
Mirror: https://archive.is/cZkdM
They are an evolutionary dead end and actually nasty, nasty creatures.
From time to time when I was a kid my parents and relatives used to take me to places where one could cuddle them and I can tell you they're not very cuddly at all.
We tend to anthropomorphize cute animals with big eyes and I reckon that's not good for conservation overall as the ugly get less attention. Moreover, how animals appear isn't a good indicator of their nature. Another well-known example is the loris, it looks really cute but it's a very bad idea to pick one up as you'll get jabbed by its poisoned barb.
Best thing to do is to just look and leave them be. Koalas aren't the only animals suffering habitat loss, many are and it's a huge problem.
Magpies are much worse. I don't know anyone who hasn't been swooped by one.
They're not the only ones.
Dead Comment
Dead Comment
"This is it, this is a countdown to extinction"
Wonder what would be also the effects of this on them and wildlife in general.When I have seen Koalas in the wild they seemed very apathetic- saw one stay at the very top of a blue-gum (which famously can shed huge pieces without much warning) even during a storm.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-08-30/killing-koalas-90-yea...
https://www.dropbox.com/s/12v1undbbi6x9ez/AKFestimates_2021....
Sadly that won’t work. Koalas hardly make a dent in the consumption of eucalyptus trees. And on top of that, mature Eucalyptus leaves are extremely dry, so koalas will only eat the youngest shoots. So if they had any impact on the trees, it would be making them more flammable, not less.
We are next.
But not to worry, they'll be in very good company. The predatory ecosystem exploitation we've been living and breathing for quite some time now has put incredible strains on our whole life support system. Biological systems are amazingly resilient and this resilience has hidden much of the damage that has accumulated.
Unfortunately this has just made us disregard many of the warning signs that are flashing in front of our eyes. Food webs are collapsing, ecosystems get more and more fragmented and with increased fragmentation, failure in one part cannot be compensated for in another part.
Koalas are cute, so they get the publicity. That's good I guess. But let's not pretend that it's only koalas.
It's everything.