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Koala put on endangered species list

Koalas - Level 4

The cuddly koala is in danger. This lovable animal is now an endangered species. The Australian Koala Foundation believes there are as few as 43,000 left in the wild. Their numbers have been falling due to disease, loss of habitat, bushfires, and other threats. The World Wildlife Fund said: "Koalas have gone from no listing to vulnerable to endangered within a decade." He added that koalas risk "sliding toward extinction". He wanted laws to protect them.

The koala is important for Australia's culture, zoos and economy. Wikipedia says the koala "benefited the national tourism industry by over an estimated billion Australian dollars in 1998". However, efforts to protect the koala have not worked. Australia said there were "many pressures on the koala," and that it is "vulnerable to climate change and to disease". It said recent bushfires that killed thousands of the animals were "a tipping point".

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Koalas - Level 5

The cuddly koala is in danger. Animal lovers will be sad to hear that this lovable animal is now on the endangered species list. The Australian Koala Foundation estimates there are as few as 43,000 koalas left in the wild. Their numbers have been falling rapidly due to disease, loss of habitat, bushfires, and other threats. The World Wildlife Fund in Australia said: "Koalas have gone from no listing to vulnerable to endangered within a decade. That is a shockingly fast decline." It said that koalas risk "sliding toward extinction". It added stronger laws were needed to protect their forest homes.

The koala is important for Australia. Wikipedia writes: "The koala is well known worldwide and is a major draw for Australian zoos and wildlife parks.…It benefited the national tourism industry by over an estimated billion Australian dollars in 1998, a figure that has since grown." Despite this, efforts to protect the koala have not been working. Australia's environment minister said there were "many pressures on the koala," and that it is "vulnerable to climate change and to disease". She said recent bushfires killed at least 6,400 of the animals, and these were "a tipping point".

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Koalas - Level 6

The koala is regarded as the epitome of cuddliness. However, animal lovers will be saddened to hear that this lovable marsupial has been moved to the endangered species list. The Australian Koala Foundation estimates there are somewhere between 43,000-100,000 koalas left in the wild. Their numbers have been dwindling rapidly due to disease, loss of habitat, bushfires, being hit by cars, and other threats. Stuart Blanch from the World Wildlife Fund in Australia said: "Koalas have gone from no listing to vulnerable to endangered within a decade. That is a shockingly fast decline." He added that koalas risk "sliding toward extinction" unless there are "stronger laws…to protect their forest homes".

The koala has huge cultural significance for Australia. Wikipedia writes: "The koala is well known worldwide and is a major draw for Australian zoos and wildlife parks. It has been featured in advertisements, games, cartoons, and as soft toys. It benefited the national tourism industry by over an estimated billion Australian dollars in 1998, a figure that has since grown." Despite this, efforts to protect the koala have been failing. Australia's Environment Minister Sussan Ley said there have been "many pressures on the koala," and that it is "vulnerable to climate change and to disease". She said the 2019-2020 bushfires, which killed at least 6,400 of the animals, were "a tipping point".

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