Along with the kangaroo, the koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) is undoubtedly the most iconic animal on the Australian continent. We picture it draped over a eucalyptus tree, lazily munching its leaves, and we assumed things would stay that way forever. Yet these marsupials could soon become extinct, leaving a void in the Australian outback and in our hearts. The alarm has been raised by the Australian Koala Foundation (AKF), an organisation dedicated to the conservation of these animals, which states that only 80,000 koalas remain in the wild and that the species must therefore be considered "functionally extinct".

The decline of koalas

This means that the number of individuals is too low and is considered insufficient to ensure the survival of new generations. Since 2010, the Australian Koala Foundation has monitored 128 districts where koalas were historically present, finding that they had already disappeared from 41 of them. The AKF's estimates are considerably lower than those produced previously; research carried out in 2016 suggested that around 330,000 koalas were present in Australia. Establishing the exact number of animals is very difficult, but there is no doubt about the decline this species is experiencing — just 1 per cent of the original population is said to remain. Since May 2012, koalas have been listed as a vulnerable species in Queensland, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory.

What "functionally extinct" means

The term can refer to different situations — for example, "a species whose population has declined to the point where it can no longer play a significant role in its own ecosystem", explained Christine Adams-Hosking, a researcher at the University of Queensland. It can also indicate a species that has lost all, or nearly all, of its habitat, whose fate is therefore sealed. Finally, functionally extinct can refer, as in this case, to "a small population that, while still reproducing, suffers from inbreeding that can threaten its future viability", the Australian researcher stated. Low genetic variability, as highlighted by recent genetic studies, therefore represents a further threat to koalas.

Read also

• Here's why koalas hug trees
• Climate change is forcing koalas to drink
• Australia, record heat with temperatures above 40 degrees

Why koalas are disappearing

The causes of the disappearance of koalas, which have inhabited Australia for around 30 million years, are of human origin. In the past, these endearing marsupials were hunted en masse for their fur, while today they are threatened by deforestation, which is shrinking their habitat, and by the effects of climate change. Rising temperatures are extending periods of drought and worsening the risk of bushfires and disease.

A hope for koalas

The destruction of eucalyptus forests, on which koalas depend, is the primary threat to the species. To try to prevent their disappearance, scientists argue that it is necessary to protect the remaining forests and create new ones by reforesting large areas — but doing so requires political will. "For years we have been asking governments to help us in the battle to save Australia's symbol," declared Deborah Tabart, chairwoman of the Australian Koala Foundation, "but politicians keep postponing commitments and making excuses. The most absurd thing is that we have a law that allows companies to destroy animals' habitat."