Sad decline of koalas since Prince Harry’s Taronga Zoo visit in 2003

The next time the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Harry and Meghan, visit Australia, there might not be many koalas left. Picture: AAP Image/Dean Lewins (Source: AAP).

AS Prince Harry met koalas at Taronga Zoo today, Tuesday, October 16 WWF-Australia hopes his visit draws world attention to the alarming decline of the much-loved marsupial.

In 2003, as a fresh-faced 19-year-old, Prince Harry posed with koalas at Taronga Zoo.

In the 15 years since then, koala numbers in NSW have plunged by 32%, largely due to the bulldozing of forests they depend on.

WWF-Australia conservation scientist Dr Martin Taylor used figures published by the Federal Government’s Threatened Species Scientific Committee to estimate that in 2003 there were 24,600 koalas, while now in 2018 there are only 16,800.

At this rate of decline, by the time Prince Harry is in his mid-60s in 2050, koalas could disappear from the wild in New South Wales.

“The NSW government needs to urgently tighten laws to halt the alarming resurgence of tree clearing we are seeing now,” Dr Taylor said.

“Otherwise, zoos may be the only place left in New South Wales to see a koala,” he said.

WWF discovered that bulldozing of koala habitats more than tripled in north central NSW west of Moree after the repeal of the Native Vegetation Act last year.

Story Source: WWF Australia

Ryan Fritz

Ryan Fritz started The Advocate in 2014 to provide not-for-profits and charities another media platform to tell their worthwhile hard news stories and opinion pieces effortlessly. In 2020, Ryan formed a team of volunteer journalists to help spread even more high-quality stories from the third sector. He also has over 10 years experience as a media and communications professional for not-for-profits and charities and currently works at Redkite, a childhood cancer charity.

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  • Ryan Fritz

    Ryan Fritz started The Advocate in 2014 to provide not-for-profits and charities another media platform to tell their worthwhile hard news stories and opinion pieces effortlessly. In 2020, Ryan formed a team of volunteer journalists to help spread even more high-quality stories from the third sector. He also has over 10 years experience as a media and communications professional for not-for-profits and charities and currently works at Redkite, a childhood cancer charity.

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Ryan Fritz started The Advocate in 2014 to provide not-for-profits and charities with another media platform to tell their worthwhile hard news stories and opinion pieces effortlessly. In 2020, Ryan formed a team of volunteer journalists to help spread even more high-quality stories from the third sector. He also has over 10 years of experience as a media and communications professional for not-for-profits and charities.

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