Koalas 'Functionally Extinct' in Australia with Just 80,000 Estimated to Remain: What You Need to Kn

[TomSea]

Koalas 'Functionally Extinct' in Australia with Just 80,000 Estimated to Remain: What You Need to Know
By Christine Adams-Hosking On 5/13/19 at 3:47 AM EDT

The Australian Koala Foundation said it believes “there are no more than 80,000 koalas in Australia,” making the species "functionally extinct."

While this number is dramatically lower than the most recent academic estimates, there’s no doubt koala numbers in many places are in steep decline.

It’s hard to say exactly how many koalas are still remaining in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory, but they are highly vulnerable to such threats as deforestation, disease and the effects of climate change.

Once a koala population falls below a critical point, it can no longer produce the next generation, leading to extinction.

Read more at: https://www.newsweek.com/koala-functionally-extinct-australia-1423428

[dfwgator]

Over 99% of all species that ever inhabited this planet are extinct.