A Moment Of Silence Please

On Friday February 11, 2022, Australia officially declared Koalas to be an endangered species. This heartbreaking revelation deserves a moment of silence from every single human being on this planet…

The real problem humanity is facing is that Koalas becoming endangered is in fact NOT a revelation at all because we have been aware of their decline for over a decade. This beautiful species has been considered Vulnerable since 2012 when studies showed that their numbers were declining at an unacceptable rate. Prior to those studies, Koalas were not even a species of concern but data over the last ten years has told an increasingly troubling story. Yet the rapid onset of disease and habitat destruction has continued to rage through the Koala communities to the point where the probability of extinction has become imminent.

WHAT ARE KOALAS FACING?

The drastic decline of the koala has been due to many factors. First, and unbeknownst to most people, is that Chlamydia runs rampant through wild Koala populations. Yes, you read that correctly, Chlamydia. While it is not the same strain that affects humans, it is still a sexually transmitted disease that is contracted during mating and can also be passed to young through their mother’s milk. For reasons not yet fully understood, Chlamydia affects Koalas more than any other animal species. The disease, left unchecked, causes conjunctivitis, genital pain and incontinence in best case scenarios and blindness, infertility and death at it’s worst.

Koala Chlamydia can be treated with antibiotics with a fair amount of success if caught early, but for far too many animals, euthanization is the only remedy. In October of 2021, field trials began on a vaccine that may prevent the disease in Koalas but it may be too little to late if this vaccine cannot be implemented on a large scale within a relatively short period of time. On a slightly lesser scale, a Retrovirus similar to HIV in humans, also infects Koalas in the wild further compromising their immune systems and worsening the effects of the Chlamydia.

Even more devastating than the issue of disease is the extensive loss of habitat that Koalas have experienced, especially over the last few years. Deforestation due to logging and clear cutting has been decreasing habitat at a steady rate for far too long. Trees and vegetation are cleared for commercial products as well as residential purposes as urban landscapes encroach on this once pristine environment. With urbanization comes the addition of roadways and human occupation which leads to additional Koala injury and death due to vehicle collisions and dog attacks.

Further impacting the already distressed environment is climate change which has brought droughts and high temperatures that dramatically inhibit natures resiliency. The loss of suitable habitat compounds the symptoms of disease and weakens the population even further creating a viscous cycle that leaves little possibility for survival, even in the best times. The bushfires that occurred in the 2019 – 2020 dry season in Australia are believed to be a result of climate change and the devastation that resulted to both the Koalas and their habitat was unfathomable.

WHERE DID WE GO WRONG?

The answer is simple. Those in places of authority, who could have implemented programs and policies for protection, did not care about the preservation of Koalas. Or any other animal species for that matter. Production, profit and greed have made any fleeting thoughts of conservation the last thing to occupy the minds of those with the ability to make an impactful difference.

Approximately 80% of Koala habitat has been decimated since the onset of European settlement 200 years ago. And of the 20% still existing, almost none of the land is protected and much of it is privately-owned by corporations. Despite knowing this and declaring the species to be vulnerable a decade ago, lawmakers have failed to ever devise any kind of recovery plan for Koala decline. To make matters worse, the vaccine for Koala Chlamydia was close to being ready for field testing back in 2013. But due to it’s potential to lead to a vaccine for human Chlamydia, which is not as profitable as treatment is, the Koala vaccine was delayed until October 2021. That is despicable on so many levels that it is a topic for an entire article all on its own.

Equally as disturbing is the fact that Mainstream Media is barely even covering the announcement that the Koala has been declared endangered. Through my research for this article, I found that outlets like ABC, NBC and The NY Times only ran short little blurbs with very little information and all of those articles are practically verbatim copies of one another. Now, I get that the world is still in the depths of debate on the pandemic, but does that make the blatant disregard for the life on this planet any less of an urgent problem? Furthermore, shouldn’t everyone who lives on Earth be informed of surmounting evidence showing the real world effects of climate change?

SO WHAT CAN WE DO?

On the less involved end of the scale, everyone can make a difference by being conscious of the products we buy and the companies we support. Find out how your favorite items are made and what resources are being used to keep those brands you love going. If you’d like to make a more direct impact, you can support and donate to organizations like the following:

Australia Koala Foundation

https://www.savethekoala.com/

Save Our Koalas

https://saveourkoalas.org/

The bottom line is that all life, humans included, are affected by the decline and devastation of any species or habitat. Self-preservation alone should compel everyone to take an interest in stopping and reversing the devastation that we’re witnessing.

For our children and our children’s children, Please do your part…