fact
Koalas refuse to eat anything but Eucalyptus, a mildly toxic plant that gives them almost no energy, which is why they sleep so much. Also, if you stripped the tree and put it on a plate, the koala would stare at it and starve because it can’t recognize it as food.
The post Koalas refuse to eat anything but Eucalyptus… appeared first on Crazy Facts.
As we’ve seen, bushfires are causing major devastation to both the vegetation and animals that are unique to Australia.
Photo Credit: Pixabay
Robert Irwin, son of the late, famous Aussie animal advocate Steve Irwin, also has grave concerns about the long term impact of the fires. As his mother, Terri Irwin, discussed the horrendous loss of hundreds of thousands koalas with the television program Sunrise, Robert struggled to contain his tears.
The Irwin family has already helped 90,000 animals, but it is being widely reported that nearly a billion animals have been affected by the fires. Veterinarians and other experts from Australian zoos are among those leading the effort to rescue and treat injured animals.
"Being able to treat and help koalas is few and far between because they're basically incinerated"
Terri Irwin chats about the devastating impact of Australia's bushfires on our vulnerable koala population.
More on this story: https://t.co/Im1bLS9oZj pic.twitter.com/9a5EqQlivR
— Sunrise (@sunriseon7) January 5, 2020
Terri told Sunrise, “We’re able to offer a safe haven for wildlife needing help.” Robert also spoke of the many different injuries they’ve seen not only in koalas, but platypuses, possums, birds and other species coming through their facility.
As he listened to his mom speak about the hard hit the koala population is currently taking, 16-year old Robert’s eyes filled with tears.
To escape the smoke and flames, koalas are retreating to even more dangerous and populated areas. Some are getting hit by cars or attacked by other animals.
Photo Credit: Twitter
Others are retreating up into highly flammable eucalyptus trees. Terri explains the horrific danger in this:
Koala instinct is to go up, as safety is in the top of the tree. Eucalyptus trees have so much oil that they ignite and actually explode in a fire. That means being able to treat and help koalas is few and far between because they’re basically incinerated.
Anyone can see the thought of these koalas suffering so is heartbreaking to Robert.
Robert holding back tears… I feel you man.
I have so much love for this family and all they do.
— •• Peyt •• (@Peytton) January 6, 2020
It’s become increasingly likely that koalas will soon have to be listed as endangered.
We can feel the weariness of the Irwins and the rest of Australia, and we look for an end to these devastating fires. Unfortunately, as climate change causes weather patterns to change, Australia may be in for less rain and more heat, making an already incendiary situation much worse. This fire season has been horrific, but it may also be closer to the new normal.
The post Robert Irwin Got Emotional as He Talked About the Destruction of the Australian Bushfires appeared first on UberFacts.
The world has been watching fires devastate Australia for months now. About one-third of Kangaroo Island has been decimated, in addition to significant damage in New South Wales and Victoria.
Located on the southern coast off of Australia, Kangaroo Island was until recently home to many koalas and wallabies. But since the fires began, approximately 20,000 koalas have died. The fires have also taken the lives of two people on the island and destroyed 50 homes.
The Guardian reports that Kangaroo Island was previously a haven for many endangered species endemic to Australian. Its fairy tale-esque settings were a quiet home for the many animals that lived there, and the natural beauty of the island attracted tourists from all over the world.
Photos show the extent of the damage. This is Flinders Chase National Park in 2017.
Sadly, this is a recent shot of the same area.
Posted by Kayne Davis on Monday, January 6, 2020
More from the burned-out forest:
It was a harrowing first day for our team on Kangaroo Island, words cannot describe the wildlife devastation we have…
Posted by Humane Society International Australia on Saturday, January 11, 2020
HSI Kangaroo Island koala rescue
Another non-stop day scouring Kangaroo Island for signs of life. As we were putting in a water station CEO Erica Martin spotted another survivor that would turn out to be our last rescue for the day.If you would like to donate and support ongoing recovery and rehabilitation efforts you can do so at www.hsi.org.au/bushfire.
Posted by Humane Society International Australia on Sunday, January 12, 2020
The island was also home to the Southern Ocean Lodge, a luxury resort in Kangaroo Island.
The founders of Kangaroo Island's Southern Ocean Lodge have vowed to rebuild the luxury South Australian tourism icon after it was destroyed in a devastating bushfire. https://t.co/QmvwTSJ3Hl #7NEWS pic.twitter.com/rfuRn7pgML
— 7NEWS Australia (@7NewsAustralia) January 15, 2020
1/2
This is the devastating aftermath from a fire in the Flinders Chase National Park SA. This was the Southern Ocean Lodge and was frequently held up as the golden example of private, luxury developments within protected areas. It's burning is nothing to celebrate.pic.twitter.com/GXubmrudN4
— Fishers And Walkers Against Helicopter Access (@AndFishers) January 13, 2020
Many have done their part to rescue koalas and other animals who have lost their homes, food, and sources of water.
A rescue operation organized by a local family on Kangaroo Island transported injured koalas from areas devastated by bushfires. Though one koala died in the process, the family took the rest of the distressed animals to receive care. https://t.co/Q1Xtzrfzpy pic.twitter.com/ZhHRbXqUeo
— ABC News (@ABC) January 8, 2020
NASA has also shown sobering images of what the ecologically diverse island has lost.
Australia's Kangaroo Island is a haven for rare wildlife. A third of it has burned in bushfires, NASA images show: https://t.co/vtL2iU9jY5 pic.twitter.com/7vAuomF1ub
— CNN (@CNN) January 8, 2020
Even if these fires eventually stop, which they presumably will, local channel 9News says new fires could start again because of the summer hot weather coupled with many years of drought.
The Australian government has set up a help page for those interested in assisting residents of Kangaroo Island. You can also help by donating to volunteer firefighters, who are the primary force fighting to control these fires.
No matter that the fires will eventually come under control, these pictures are a reminder of what humanity has lost.
Feel free to share your thoughts and wishes in the comments section below. Maybe sharing your opinion could inspire others to take action.
The post Before and After Photos Show the Horrific Effects of Australian Fires in Kangaroo Island appeared first on UberFacts.
It’s devastating to watch scenes of scorched, singed, and confused koala bears as the bushfires continue to rage throughout Australia. The fires have destroyed land and homes in New South Wales and Queensland but have also tragically taken a huge toll on the koala population in the country.
Because koala habitat is being destroyed in such huge acreage in the blazes, teams are venturing into the burned areas to try to find and rescue koala bears.
One of the most important team members in these searches is a dog – who we can genuinely call a hero – named Bear.
Posted by Queensland Koala Crusaders on Wednesday, November 13, 2019
Bear is a koala detection dog who has been dispatched to Queensland to help find unfortunate little creatures that have been affected by the fires.
The International Fund for Animal Welfare said on its Facebook page,
“Our koala detection dog Bear is bringing a glimmer of hope for koalas suffering from Australia’s deadly bushfires—but these animals need more heroes to save them from this ongoing disaster. Our koala detection dog Bear is an integral part of these rescue efforts. He was recently deployed to southeast Queensland and one of the hardest-hit areas of New South Wales where the bushfires decimated local koala populations. Bear is one of the few detection dogs who can locate live koalas through the scent of their fur.”
This is Bear. He was abandoned as a puppy due to his OCD, but quickly found a new life as a koala detection dog. As wildfires devastate Australia’s east coast, Bear is doing his best to locate any injured or misplaced koalas. He’s their unexpected savior, and our thirteenth 15/10 pic.twitter.com/dWe8tWbEJo
— WeRateDogs® (@dog_rates) November 21, 2019
Bear is now 6 years old, and he’s obviously found his calling in life.
You can help out by donating to this nonprofit fundraiser HERE.
Sadly, it seems that, in New South Wales at least, some koala populations are being pushed to the brink of extinction due to the fires.
The post This Dog Is in Charge of Finding Koalas That Have Survived Australia’s Bushfires appeared first on UberFacts.
Awwwwwwwww.
Koalas are adorable marsupials native to Australia. You very likely won’t see them ever unless you visit a zoo or visit the country.
So what are they really like? Here are 12 facts to help you get to know the cuddly critter a little better.
The word koala comes from aboriginal Australian words for “no water” because the adorable animals don’t actually drink water – they get all the liquid they need from their diet of leaves.
Their little bodies have adapted to handle eucalyptus, even though it’s toxic to a lot of other species. In fact, they eat very little aside from eucalyptus leaves.
Eucalyptus leaves have little to no nutritional value, so they sleep 18-20 hours per day to save their energy.
Australia is home to three different types of koalas. Southern koalas have the thickest fur because of the harsher winters have to endure.
Photo Credit: Wikipedia
They measure roughly 1 centimeter right after birth and spend the next few months growing inside their mother’s pouch.
This helps help withstand the toxin inside eucalyptus leaves much better.
Koalas can smell eucalyptus from really far away, and they know if leaves are fresh or old just by smelling them. They also know when their food is more toxic than usual.
Humans don’t have a monopoly on fingerprints. Koalas are unique mammals in that they too have the distinguishing marks.
This helps them get sleep wherever they want.
Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Australia has anti-cuddling regulations to protect koalas from exploitation.
The scat moth only eats koala poo until it becomes an adult.
Though koalas aren’t listed as endangered (they’re considered vulnerable), various factors including human activity, fires, and deforestation, are decimating their population. Particularly after the most recent Australian fire season, koalas may even be functionally extinct in some areas, meaning there are too few of them for the population to successfully find each other and breed new generations.
Photo Credit: Pixabay
What were you surprised to learn about koalas? Leave a comment below.
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