China News Service, September 21. According to a report from the "Central News Agency" on the 21st, the Australian Koala Foundation recently stated that affected by drought, forest fires and deforestation, the number of koalas in the country has dropped sharply in the past three years. 30%.
The Koala Foundation urges the authorities to take action as soon as possible to protect the habitat of koalas.
Data map: Koala.
According to reports, the Koala Foundation estimates that the number of koalas in Australia will exceed 80,000 in 2018, but this number has become less than 58,000 in 2021.
Among them, the situation in New South Wales is the most serious, where the number of koalas has dropped by 41%.
Tabat, the chief executive of the Koala Foundation, said on the 21st local time that the number of koalas "decreased quite significantly."
According to the report, at present, there is no increasing trend in the number of koalas across Australia.
The study found that there is only one area in Australia with an estimated number of more than 5,000 koalas, and in some areas there are even only 5 to 10 koalas.
Tabat emphasized, "I think action must be taken now," and called on the authorities to consider legislation to protect koalas.
According to reports, in late 2019 and early 2020, NSW continued to be affected by wildfires, which may be a key factor in accelerating the decline in the number of koalas.
The report pointed out that the Australian government has already implemented the National Rehabilitation Plan for NSW, Queensland and nearby areas in Canberra in June.
In addition, the authorities are still seeking public opinion on whether to promote the koala to an "endangered" species. The deadline is September 24.