Wildlife rescuers fear koala population decimated further by habitat destruction

Rescuers now fear that far more than the 350 koalas previously estimated to have perished have actually died as the true horror of the bushfire crisis becomes clear.

Shocking new estimates from wildlife advocates have put the number of koalas killed in recent bushfires far higher than previously thought.

The prospects for the beloved native marsupial was placed in risk after recent bushfires earlier this month destroyed large areas of their critical breeding habitat near Port Macquarie. A fire ripped through the Lake Innes Nature Reserve in mid November, leading the Koala Conservation president Sue Ashton to declare 350 koalas had been “burnt to ashes”.

Since then, fires have continued to rage across the country, burning important habitats in NSW, Queensland and South Australia. Rescuers around the country are now discussing a renewed, “much worse” figure of about 1000 killed koalas, Nicole Blums, of The Rescue Collective told news.com.au.

Ms Blums said animal rescuers were now in the early stages of being allowed to enter burned bushfire territory, and were coming face-to-face with the destruction. Surveying the burnt bushland they were encountering unprecedented devastation and animal death.

“They’re just going in searching for life and they’re not finding a lot,” Ms Blums told news.com.au. “Nine times out of ten (the animals) need to be euthanised.”

An injured koala burned in fires near Port Macquarie. Picture: The Rescue Collective

Rescuers fear up to 1000 koalas could have been wiped out in fires across the country in recent weeks. Picture: The Rescue Collective via Facebook

Of the animals that are able to be recovered from the bushland, there’s about a 20 per cent survival rate.

For the rescuers walking the scorched habitats, there was “mental anguish” and a risk of post traumatic stress, she said.

The 1000 estimate of deaths came as Ms Blums spoke with staff at the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital, a large Queensland wildlife sanctuary.

She said those walking through habitat following the fires near Port Macquarie, where 600 koalas had been estimated to be living, found everything had been turned to ash as the fire was “ridiculously hot”.

“In other areas they’re finding (animal) carcasses,” she explained.

She said the burning of other important habitats in areas including Esk, the Scenic Rim, Moreton Island in Queensland and parts of NSW burning had caused the spike in estimates of koala deaths.

Ms Blums said in Woodgate, in the Bundaberg region where Queensland Fire and Emergency Service battled the Kinkuna fire for three days, there are burned areas where the tops of trees remained green, and injured animals, including koalas, could be hiding.

“The koalas, sometimes babies, have smoke inhalation and it’s like they have emphysema,” she said.

Rescuers have warned surviving animals will need assistance. Picture: The Rescue Collective

Scorched feet. Picture: The Rescue Collective via Facebook

Ms Blums said surviving animals in the scorched wilderness face ongoing risks, including starvation and dehydration.

“There is nothing left — the grass, the insects, nothing is left.”

In affected areas The Rescue Collective was organising a drop of pallets of special macropod (marsupials including kangaroos and wallabies) food on the ground, to assist animals until the habitats began to regenerate.

She said people can assist by leaving out water if they live near areas usually teeming with animals, and by donating to wildlife charities.

The Rescue Collective are raising funds for fire affected wildlife across the Australian east coast, and also calling for donations of items including wraps, veterinary items and salves to assist with the ongoing care of injured animals.