Koala declared endangered as disease, lost habitat take toll

Koalas have been declared officially endangered in eastern Australia as they succumb to disease, lost habitat and other threats

CANBERRA, Australia -- Koalas were declared officially endangered Friday in eastern Australia as they fall prey to disease, lost habitat and other threats.

Federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley downgraded their conservation status across the country’s east coast, in Queensland, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, on a recommendation by the government’s Threatened Species Scientific Committee.

Earlier they had been listed as a vulnerable species.

Many koalas in Australia suffer from chlamydia. Koala populations in New South Wales have fallen by 33%-61% since 2001. In 2020, a parliamentary inquiry warned the species might become extinct before 2050 without urgent intervention.