Australia, wildfires killed or displaced 3 billion animals
Environment — di Andrea Barolini
A new scientific study on the Australian wildfires sharply revises upward the figures on the number of animals killed or forced to flee.
Australia, wildfires killed or displaced 3 billion animals
A new scientific study on the Australian wildfires sharply revises upward the figures on the number of animals killed or forced to flee.
The devastating wildfires that swept through much of Australia during 2019 were catastrophic for local wildlife. In the early months of 2020, the figure of one billion animals killed by the blazes had been cited. New estimates contained in a study conducted by a group of Australian universities, however, paint an even grimmer picture.
Nearly 3 billion animals killed or displaced by Australia's devastating wildfires in 2019 and 2020, says new report aje.io/mzzaz
143 million mammals affected by the wildfires in Australia
The number of individuals killed or forced to flee is in fact approximately three billion. This represents, the authors of the analysis explained, "one of the worst disasters in modern history for wildlife." More specifically, the document states that 143 million mammals were affected by the fires. To this are added 180 million birds, 51 million frogs and 2.46 million reptiles.
The exact number of animals killed, as a proportion of the total, is not specified. But Chris Dickman, one of the report's authors, points out that, for many of them, it is hard to be optimistic. The lack of shelter, food and protection from predators likely proved insurmountable obstacles.
Nearly 3 billion animals are estimated to have been killed or displaced in Australia's bushfires, including 143m mammals, 180m birds, 51m frogs and a staggering 2.5 billion reptiles theguardian.com/environment/20…
WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT OF DEAD ANIMALS
WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT OF DEAD ANIMALS
100 animal and plant species have lost at least half of their natural habitat
Compared with the initial assessment that cited one billion animals killed, the latest figures — according to Lily van Eeden of the University of Sydney — have taken into account all the areas affected by the fires. Meanwhile, according to the Australian government itself, in addition to koalas (whose fate has moved the entire world) at least 100 other animal and plant species have lost more than half of their natural habitat as a result of the blazes.