'Australia's koalas could be wiped out within 30 years', say scientists.Byline: ANI London, November 11 (ANI): In a new research, scientists have determined that Australia's koalas could be wiped out within 30 years unless urgent action is taken to halt a decline in population. According to BBC BBC in full British Broadcasting Corp. Publicly financed broadcasting system in Britain. A private company at its founding in 1922, it was replaced by a public corporation under royal charter in 1927. News, the Australian Koala koala (kōä`lə), arboreal marsupial, or pouched mammal, Phascolarctos cinereus, native to Australia. Although it is sometimes called koala bear, or Australian bear, and is somewhat bearlike in appearance, it is not related to true Foundation said that a recent survey showed the population could have dropped by more than half in the past six years. They said that development, climate change and bushfires have all combined to send the numbers of wild koalas plummeting. Also, many have been killed by the sexually transmitted disease sexually transmitted disease (STD) or venereal disease, term for infections acquired mainly through sexual contact. Five diseases were traditionally known as venereal diseases: gonorrhea, syphilis, and the less common granuloma inguinale, chlamydia. Previous estimates put the number of koalas at more than 100,000 - but the latest calculations suggest there could now be as few as 43,000. The foundation collected field data from 1,800 sites and 80,000 trees to calculate the numbers. In one area in northern Queensland estimated to have 20,000 koalas a decade ago, a team of eight people could not find a single animal in four days of searching. Problems caused by deforestation deforestation Process of clearing forests. Rates of deforestation are particularly high in the tropics, where the poor quality of the soil has led to the practice of routine clear-cutting to make new soil available for agricultural use. , hotter, drier conditions attributed to global warming had reduced the nutritional value of the Koalas' staple food, eucalyptus leaves, leading to malnutrition. Koalas, which are confined to forests in Australia's east and south, are notoriously fussy about what types of the leaves they eat. According to foundation chief Deborah Tabart, "The koalas are missing everywhere we look. It's really no tree, no me. If you keep cutting down trees, you don't have any koalas." She is hoping the new figures will persuade the Australian government's Threatened Species Steering Committee (TSSC) to list the koala as threatened. But, committee chairman Bob Beeton said a decision was not likely until mid-2010 - and the koala's status as one of the country's favourite animals would not be a factor. "There's a number of species which are charismatic and emotionally charged. We don't consider that," Beeton said. "We'd consider the koala with the same level of diligence and dedication as if it were the death adder," he added. (ANI) Copyright 2009 Asian News International The Asian News International (ANI) agency provides multimedia news to China and 50 bureaus in India. It covers virtually all of South Asia since its foundation and presently claims, on its official website, to be the leading South Asia-wide news agency. (ANI) - All Rights Reserved. Provided by Syndigate.info an Albawaba.com company |
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