Australia is considering listing koalas on the country's east coast as endangered, Minister for the Environment Sussan Ley said on Friday (June 18) in an emailed statement.
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Australia already classifies east coast koalas as vulnerable, their numbers under pressure from logging, urban encroachment and a pervasive infection. As well, bushfires across New South Wales and Queensland states in 2019 and 2020 are estimated to have killed as many as 30% of the population.
Scientists and academics have warned that the iconic Australian mammal could become extinct by 2050 in New South Wales, and Ley said she has asked the country's Threatened Species Scientific Committee to consider including koalas on its endangered species list.
