Australian bushfires may have killed up to 30 percent of koalas

Raging bushfires in Australia may have wiped out 30 percent of the nation’s koalas, the federal environment minister said this week — as a weekend heatwave is expected to intensify the crisis.

“Up to 30% of the koalas in the region may have been killed, because up to 30% of their habitat has been destroyed,”  Sussan Ley told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation Friday. “We’ll know more when the fires are calmed down and a proper assessment can be made.”

The Mid North Coast region of New South Wales, where about 28,000 of the country’s 80,000 koalas live, has been hit particularly hard by the fires, which began about two months ago after a historically severe drought.

Eight people have died in New South Wales, and 8.6 million acres and nearly 1,000 homes have been destroyed.

Desperate koalas, which are notoriously sensitive to changes in their environment, have been approaching people in apparent pleas for help.

A heart-wrenching Instagram video shows one thirsty koala perched on the wheel of a cyclist’s bike while drinking desperately from her water bottle.

“This koala walked right up to me as I was descending and climbed up onto my bike while I gave him water. Best thing to happen to me on a ride ever,” Anna Heuseler wrote Friday on the social media network.

A heatwave over the weekend and next week is expected to bring a new surge of dry winds and high temperatures that could strengthen the flames.

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