Around 480 million animals are feared to have died in the bushfires sweeping Australia, including nearly a third of the koalas in New South Wales’s main habitat.
Ecologists at the University of Sydney estimate around 480 million mammals, birds and reptiles have been killed, directly or indirectly, by the devastating blazes since they began in September, The Times reported.
This includes almost 8,000 koalas, which are believed to have burnt to death on the state’s mid-north coast.
This area, which is roughly 240 miles north of Sydney, is home to 28,000 of Australia’s koalas.
Federal environment minister Sussan Ley told ABC “up to 30 per cent of the population in that region” may have been killed, because around 30 per cent of their habitat has been destroyed.
Over 100 fires continue to rage on throughout the country and 9 people of sadly lost their lives due to the wildfires.
A Gofundme page for the hospital has received more than £1.6million ($2million AUD) since September – the largest single amount raised on the site in Australian history, website Newshub reported.
