Almost 3 billion koalas, kangaroos and other animals are estimated to have been killed or displaced in Australia’s ‘Black Summer’ bushfires, according to an updated study trebling the previous estimate of 1 billion.
It is the worst single event for wildlife in Australia, among the worst in the world and is likely to push some species into extinction, according to the study, funded by WWF Australia.
“It’s almost inconceivable that so many animals would be lost and displaced,” said University of Sydney professor Chris Dickman, who coordinated the study.
Professor Dickman’s estimate of 1 billion animals lost or displaced made headlines around the world in January.
At the time, Professor Dickman said that figure — which only included animals lost in the NSW fires and was limited to certain species — was a conservative estimate.
The team has now updated its earlier results to include fires outside NSW — including in East Gippsland, north-east Victoria and Kangaroo Island — and extended the analysis to a greater number of species, including bats and frogs.
Professor Dickman said the revised figure was still a conservative one, with animals including turtles and fish not included in the estimate, due to a lack of baseline data on their densities. In addition, whenever there was a choice to make in the study, the scientists say they used conservative estimates of the animals included in the study.❑
ABC News
