Are koalas and panda bears in danger?

Answer 1

If, by "in danger" the question means "endangered", the answer is no.

Although koalas are currently not listed as "endangered", there are many factors which cause them to be in danger daily.

• Man is the koala's 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.
• 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 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. At the best of times, the koala is a slow breeder, usually producing just one joey a year.Although koalas are currently not listed as "endangered", there are many factors which cause them danger.

Answer 2

Yes. Even though koalas are not officially endangered, there are still numerous threats to the species.

Man is the koala's biggest threat, causing loss of food source and 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. Bushfires also pose a threat to these animals.

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

Answer 3

The koala is not extinct, it is not even endangered. They are considered to be "Secure".

Answer 4

Pandas are endangered.

Koalas are not officially endangered, although there are numerous threats to their survival.