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Subscribe to RSSThe face of Australia on Monday got some needed protection in parts of the country. While nearly a plague in South Australia, the iconic koala was listed as "vulnerable" in Queensland and New South Wales due to crashing numbers, dwindling habitat and other threats.
"On a species as iconic as the koala, I really don't think I could have credibly said to the Australian people, 'Oh don't worry, you might not have any more in Queensland the way things are going, but you can go to South Australia if you want to see one'," Environment Minister Tony Burke told reporters of his decision.
"In Victoria and South Australia, koalas have actually been in such high numbers they've been eating themselves out of habitat," the Australian Broadcasting Corp. quoted him as saying. "There's what you call population control measures going on there ... like sterilization."
"But in places like NSW and Queensland," he added, "their numbers have been taking a massive hit" -- a 40 percent drop in Queensland and a decline of about a third in New South Wales over the last 20 years.
PhotoBlog: Threats to an iconic species
While not listed as "endangered" -- the most threatened status -- the vulnerable listing will still provide protections.
"If someone wants to make a development there is a tougher hurdle as a result of a species being endangered," Burke said.
Besides habitat loss and urban development, koalas face threats from vehicle strikes, dog attacks, and disease, Burke said.
The Australian Koala Foundation welcomed the listing, but argued that the population in Victoria is much less than the government estimates and should also be protected.
The foundation "is shocked and saddened that the koalas in Victoria have been left unprotected," Foundation Director Deborah Tabart said in a blog post. "It is disheartening to read that the minister has fallen for the old and sad myth that koalas in Victoria have 'eaten themselves out of house and home'."
Koalas are the cute fuzzy bears possibly most famous for being from Australia. Now, for the first time, the Dallas Zoo will be home to two - Kibo and Tekin.
Whereas the Australian government estimates there are 200,000 koalas across the country, the foundation believes the number is around 100,000.
Tabart told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. that she felt Victoria was left out due to industry pressure.
"Because I have been in my job for so long and I sat through the Senate inquiries last year, I know industry is afraid of a listing and I know they have lobbied very hard," she said. "The logging industry, the development industry and forestry all pleaded with the senators last year, please do not list."
Reuters contributed to this report.
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Leave a Comment:
I wander if O'bama finds these delicious as well?
Skorned....may I ask you what Obama has to do with Koalas. Your world view is askew.
Come on Aussies, you don't want to be known for the birth place of Rupert Murdoch & Koala Killers.
Come on Bob you are starting to sound like a cracked record. You already posted the same comment on a similar article the other day. Then you tried to tell me Mel Gibson and Sheena Easton were Aussies..Corrected you on that as well. For goodness sake find something original to say, you are becoming boring...
Way past time they did something... hard to believe it took so long... and much more, protection, is needed. But thank God they've done SOMEthing
Industry always wins over protecting the planet and it's creatures. That is why we are heading for the same fate as cultures that disappeared in the past. Many ancient people were thriving until they used up their resources and vanished. Man will never learn. We are truly the dumbest living thing on this planet.
Good. They need to take are of these animals. Not becuase they are cute... but becuase they shouldn't be dieing just cuz we need more places to live. be responsible for god sake.
Koalas are my favorite animal they are so adorable COME ON AUSTRIALIA protect your animals bro.
The logging industry doesn't want koalas listed as endangered because it would impact their resources if government restricted their access to koala habit areas. Greed!
Huge tracts of land all over the world have been logged off, short sightedness by humans will eventually get us all in trouble not too far in the future the way things are going.
I like Koalas, they taste like chicken!
Jeff: I hope you were kidding. The Kola's are so cute. They need to be saved. I've always loved them even though they same Kola Bears, they aren't bears because they have a pouch just like the kangaroo. Austrialia please save these before they die.
Humans will kill them off sooner then later like everything else on this Planet. They are destroying the Eco System, Amazon, Whales and whatever they can kill for profit, legal or illegally. What they call Human Nature. Who out there would ever want to deal with Habitants of this Planet??
''Some protection.....'' ya gotta be kiddin' ! Complete and compassionate ''save the innocent'' creature should be the goal. Sinatra's dislike of the country is now understandable.
I agree with most of these comments.
As an Animal Lover it saddens me that Humans are bent on Destroying everything in our Paths.
7 Billion of us. We are like Rats that just devour and take over.
As Care Takers of the Planet we are doing one big shi....tty job.
Greed and shortsightedness it will be the down fall of Humanity on day. When the planet has had enough of us.
Gahhhh, they're NOT BEARS!!!!!!
A Koala Bear is not a bear???
Butch...No they are not bears....
Tony Burke omitted to include logging as one of the causes of the demise of koalas, particularly in State Forests of SE NSW.
The Strezlecki (and largest) koala is a unique genotype and there are only 30 - 40 koalas left.
The Regional Forestry Agreements (State and Federally sanctioned) are exempt from the threatened species provisions of the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.
So, for these very rare and vulnerable (targetted) threatened species (and for the hundreds which live within the logging compartments of the State Forests) - there is NO SALVATION.