Are koalas close to extinction

Answer 1

Koalas are not in danger of extinction, nor are they officially endangered. There are, however, numerous threats to the koala.

During the late 1800s, koalas became an export commodity for their fur, mostly for export to the USA. Due to koala numbers dwindling and public outrage, laws were enacted protecting the koala and imports were banned by the USA in the late 1920s. By this stage, the koala had been driven to extinction in South Australia.

New colonies have been introduced in South Australia and Western Australia, and within these protected environments, the koala is thriving. Man is their biggest threat, causing loss of food source and habitat loss. Increasing urbanisation results in more koalas being killed by cars, unsupervised dogs, bushfires and even directly by cruel and irresponsible people. In particular, koalas have a range of home trees, and their territory is often split by roads through new urban developments. As a result, when koalas try to wander from one of their home range trees to another, they are hit by cars. Domestic dogs pose another major threat to koalas in suburban fringes.

The conservation status of koalas varies from region to region in Australia, but in no state are they legislated as "endangered". For example, due to farming and land clearing, native koalas were eradicated from Western Australia and South Australia in the last century, but moves have been made to reestablish new colonies in both states. Currently, koalas are thriving on Kangaroo Island in SA, and in other isolated colonies.

Koalas are still listed as "common" in most parts of Queensland, but there are calls to list them as vulnerable in southeast Queensland, where koala numbers have dropped by about 60% in the last decade.

The NSW Government listed the koala as "rare and vulnerable" in 1992, and following protective measures which have seen koala populations regenerate, this has been changed to "vulnerable". The koala is, however, all but gone from the NSW central coast.

In Victoria, the koala is not on the threatened species list at all, and in some protected and remote regions, there is actually an overpopulation problem. They are considered to be "secure" in Victoria.

Despite urging by conservation groups since around 1992, Australia's federal government has refused to list the koala as vulnerable. Even international conservation groups cannot agree. Meanwhile, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists the koala as "potentially vulnerable", while the US Endangered Species Act lists the koala as "threatened".

Having said that, however, just because the species is not officially threatened does not mean that they are free from threats to their future existence.

The chief threat to the koala is habitat loss. Koalas inhabit prime land which man has decided is better used for housing developments. Not only do the koalas lose their sources of shelter and food, they are subject to dog attacks and being hit by cars as suburbia extends further outwards. A prime example of this is southeast Queensland, where koala numbers have dropped to 60% less than what they were a decade ago, entirely due to increased development - and where they now face extinction by 2020.

Koalas are territorial, and they live in complex social communities where each member has a certain number of trees within its territory. When access to these trees is cut off by new roads, the koalas will still try to cross the road, and risk being hit. Relocation of koalas is rarely successful because their territorial and social habits are largely misunderstood.

Another significant factor is predation by introduced species such as dogs and foxes.

Koalas are also subject to the disease chlamydia, which affects the koalas' fertility, and eventually leads to their death. Currently, there is no cure for this disease.

Answer 2

As of 2013, koalas are not endangered, but they are gradually moving towards this status, and there are campaigns to have them placed on the endanged list. Current population estimates by the Australian Koala Foundation put the figure at around 80,000, but the trend seems to be dropping. Although the koala is not endangered, on 30 April 2012, the federal government moved to include koalas on the list of threatened species. The 'threatened' designation only applied to the most at-risk populations in Queensland, NSW and the ACT.

The conservation status of koalas varies from region to region in Australia. For example, due to farming, land clearing and habitat loss, native koalas were eradicated from Western Australia and South Australia in the last century, but moves have been made to reestablish new colonies in both states. Currently, koalas are thriving on Kangaroo Island in SA, and in other isolated colonies.

Koalas are still listed as "common" in most parts of Queensland, but in the southeast region of Queensland, there are calls to change their status to "vulnerable", where the numbers reduced by over 60% in the last decade. The NSW Government listed the koala as "rare and vulnerable" in 1992, and following protective measures, this has been changed to "vulnerable". Admittedly, the koala has all but disappeared on the NSW central coast. In Victoria, the koala is not on the threatened species list at all, and in some protected and remote regions, there is actually an overpopulation problem. Even international conservation groups cannot agree. Meanwhile, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists the koala as "least concern", while the US Endangered Species Act lists the koala as "threatened".

Answer 3

No.

Koalas as a species are a long way from extinction. There are however regional areas of Australia where traditional populations of these animals are under threat due to the usual man made problems of urban development, deforestation etc. Despite all this, the koala is holding its own and has many areas of protected habitats to live in.

The conservation status of koalas varies from region to region in Australia, but they are by no means becoming extinct. For example, due to farming and land clearing, native koalas were eradicated from Western Australia and South Australia in the last century, but moves have been made to reestablish new colonies in both states. Currently, koalas are thriving on Kangaroo Island in SA, and in other isolated colonies throughout SA's southeast.

Koalas are still listed as "common" in most parts of Queensland, but in the southeast region of Queensland, their status has been changed to "vulnerable". The NSW Government listed the koala as "rare and vulnerable" in 1992, and following protective measures, this has been changed to "vulnerable". In Victoria, the koala is not on the threatened species list at all, and in some protected and remote regions, there is actually an overpopulationproblem.

Despite urging by conservation groups since around 1992, Australia's federal government has refused to list the koala as vulnerable. Even international conservation groups cannot agree. Meanwhile, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists the koala as "potentially vulnerable", while the US Endangered Species Act lists the koala as "threatened".

Answer 4

There is only one species of koala, and it is not becoming extinct.

Answer 5

There is only one species of koala - Phascolarctos cinereus, and it is not classified as endangered.