Koalas: Australia lists marsupial as endangered species

An extract from an article by the BBC  posted 11th Feb 2022 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-60342830

Australia has listed the koala as an endangered species across most of its east coast, after a dramatic decline in numbers. The once-thriving marsupial has been ravaged by land clearing, bushfires, drought, disease and other threats.
The federal government said the listing was for Queensland, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). It has been urged to do more to protect koalas from rapidly diminishing habitats and climate change.
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“Koalas have gone from no-listing to vulnerable to endangered within a decade. That is a shockingly fast decline,” said conservation scientist Stuart Blanch from WWF-Australia.
“Today’s decision is welcome, but it won’t stop koalas from sliding towards extinction unless it’s accompanied by stronger laws and landholder incentives to protect their forest homes.”
Scientists warn that climate change will also exacerbate bushfires and drought, and reduce the quality of the animal’s eucalyptus leaf diet. Koalas are also found in South Australia and Victoria but their numbers are on the decline nationally, according to conservation groups.

And this was the response from a leading Koala  action group and charity – Australian Koala Foundation (AKF).