Australia has officially classified koalas as endangered across New South Wales, Queensland, and the Australian Capital Territory due to habitat loss, disease, and climate impacts. Conservationists have warned for years that urban sprawl and bushfires are pushing the species to extinction.
The Australian government announced a $50 million fund to support habitat restoration and breeding programs. Minister for the Environment Tanya Plibersek called it “a national emergency for biodiversity.”
India’s conservationists have drawn parallels with local challenges, such as the declining numbers of elephants and leopards due to encroachment. Collaborative wildlife preservation projects between Asia-Pacific countries are being explored.