According to Renae Charalambous, only 25 percent of rescued koalas admitted to hospitals were released into appropriate habitats. A recent study conducted by the University of Queensland revealed that koalas admitted to veterinary hospitals on the Australian east coast face a high risk of euthanasia. The study analyzed over 50,000 koala sightings and hospital admissions from 1967 to 2019, with euthanasia being the most common outcome.
Female koalas, adult koalas, and those infected with chlamydia were found to be at a higher risk of being euthanized. The decline of East Coast koalas has been significant, with their conservation status changing from vulnerable in 2012 to endangered in 2022. The devastating impact of bushfires in 2019 and 2020 led to an estimated 6,400 koalas being killed in New South Wales alone.
The World Wildlife Foundation attributes the rapid decline of koalas to threats such as land clearing, drought, car strikes, dog attacks, and disease. The study found that diseases like chlamydia accounted for around 30 percent of admissions, followed by threats linked to habitat loss such as dogs and motor vehicles.
Despite the grim statistics, Charalambous believes that there is still hope to save the remaining koala population on the East Coast by addressing and minimizing threats. The NSW government is reevaluating its approach to the NSW Koala Strategy, which aims to secure habitat, support conservation efforts, reduce threats, and enhance knowledge. The government seeks to gather feedback on its current approach to identify future conservation priorities and gaps. Please rewrite this sentence.
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