In 2020 Australia became one of the worst scenarios for natural disasters to hit the world. Temperatures rose to the top of the thermometers causing a maelstrom of forest fires that devastated everything in its path. Millions of animals perished on the spot and many others were left homeless, aggravating the population health of some species such as koalas. But little by little these animals show us resilience and the first koala baby after the devastating fires has been born in Australia.
The Australian Reptile Park welcomed the first baby koala born after the bushfires. Surprising news as the species is currently considered ‘threatened’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. And Australia recently announced that it could upgrade the category to ‘endangered’ as it would receive special funding to help its conservation.
A birth that brings hope
The baby koala was born inside the natural sanctuary that is located on the central coast of New South Wales. Is he first specimen born after the devastating forest fires that devastated more than 30% of the population of these marsupials. The birth is news that should be celebrated as it opens again the hope of seeing the koalas that once dominated the Australian forests be reborn.
The Reptile Park announced that the baby koala It received the name of Ash (‘ash’ in Spanish), as a tribute to the animals that perished during the natural disasters that occurred during 2019 and 2020 in Australia. The little marsupial has been in its mother’s pouch for a few months now, yet it barely showed itself to the keepers. She also stated that the koalas rescued after the fires were receiving treatment for injuries sustained and were cared for until they recovered. She later released them again to reunite with nature.
Now that little Ash is known to be safe and in good health, he and his mother and three other adult koalas have been moved to Kanangra Boyd National Park in New Wales. They are the first group rescued from the Blue Mountains to finally break free after the terrible events.
The bushfires that have occurred in past years have left a deep mark on the Australian wilderness that will take decades to recover from such a blow. Nevertheless, Nature has shown us a hundred times that, if left free, it is capable of rising from the ashes. Therefore, Australia must put emphasis on avoiding the expansion of the urban sprawl and taking care of its forests to prevent koalas from becoming extinct, as predicted by experts who say that if nothing is done, they will become extinct by 2050.
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