The Truth about Endangered Koalas
One of the world’s most identifiable and adorable animals lives in Australia where it is, unfortunately, endangered. Koalas have captured the hearts of millions of people who are captivated by their cute, passive appearance.
At one time, koalas were widely distributed across the continent of Australia. They lived very adaptable lifestyles to an extent, and were able to exist quite successfully in a variety of conditions. Their preferred habitat is the eucalyptus forests on the eastern coasts of Australia, which provides their favorite meal; eucalyptus leaves. The trees supply more than their sustenance, however; they are the very world of the koalas. The animals eat here, sleep here and breed within the branches of these tall trees. This makes the eucalyptus forests the sole habitat of the koala. Many years ago, much of eastern Australia was densely populated by eucalyptus forests, supporting the lifestyles of this marsupial.
Before the 1900’s, large numbers of koalas inhabited the vast woodlands of eastern Australia. Native aborigines used the marsupial as a source of food, but the koalas had few other predators and were able to sustain their population. The early 1900’s saw the introduction of European explorers, who were eager to add the beautiful koala fur to their bounty. The avid hunting of the koalas drove the marsupial to near extinction. By 1927, the Australian government put an end to koala hunting and was forced to declare the koala a “protected” species due to public outcry.
Unfortunately, even though hunting slowed, it did not come to a complete halt. But now, an equally damaging threat emerged. As more people were attracted to the eastern Australian area, more and more land needed to be cleared to accommodate the influx. Slowly but surely, the precious koala habitat of eucalyptus trees began to dwindle away as residential and industrial areas grew. Roadways now traverse through what used to be dense woodlands, adding yet another danger to the already endangered koalas; road kill. Diseases have also now been introduced into the koala community, likely due to the environmental imbalance caused through deforestation.
Today, the koala population is approximately 90% less than it was even just a decade ago. Sadly, the Australian government in most part does not recognize the threat that is present for the koala and fails to take steps to offer protection to the cuddly marsupial. In an attempt to coerce the Aussies into realizing the plight of this animal, the United States placed the koala on its own endangered species list in the year 2000, captioning it with the status of “threatened”. The Australian federal government gives jurisdiction for the koala’s protection to the states, which then pass the responsibility down to the local governments. Unfortunately for the koala, the local governments possess neither the financial assets nor the resources necessary to provide adequate protection for the marsupial.
Unless action toward preserving the koala is taken quickly, soon zoos will have the only populations of the animal. Reproduction rates are not fast; gestation periods range between 25 and 35 days after which typically a single cub is born. This offspring lives within the pouch of its mother for the next 7 months; emerging at that time to begin eating eucalyptus leaves on its own. Between 11 months and 18 months of age, the cub leaves its parents. Females mature at around 4 years of age, while males mature slightly earlier. With only one offspring produced at each mating, the population is slow to grow.
Unofficially endangered, koalas are destined to become extinct unless definitive action is taken to protect the species. As cute and adorable as a stuffed animal, a cuddly toy may soon be our only reminder of the koala.