Sydney/New Delhi: Ellenborough Lewis is no more. And if you are amongst those who are living under a rock - Lewis was the koala captured on video while he was being pulled from a charred New South Wales bushland, Australia, by a heroic grandmother after a bushfire engulfed almost the entire area.
Lewis was admitted to the Koala Hospital in Port Macquarie where he received treatment for severe burns to his hands, feet, arms and the inside of his legs. But the facility made the decision to put him down after his condition took a turn for the worse.
The iconic koala, recognised worldwide as a symbol for Australia, has taken centre stage in headlines all over the world as the country faces a catastrophic and unprecedented fire season - with dozens of bushfires wreaking havoc in the country's eastern coast.
Videos and images on social media showing the plight of these helpless creatures - burning and dying - have emerged as a symbol of the destruction the bushfires brought with it. It also sparked a flurry of debates and concerns when over the weekend reports claiming the animal being "functionally extinct" made rounds.
What does the term "functionally extinct" mean?
The term implies a couple of situations. In one case, it could mean the species disappearing from the fossil record. The other could be when the population has declined to a point where it no longer plays a significant role in the ecosystem.
In another case, functionally extinct could also mean how the species in question is no longer viable - how the small population of breeding individuals are unable to sustain itself.
The chairman of the Australian Koala Foundation, Deborah Tabart, estimates that over 1,000 koalas have been killed because of the fires. According to wwf.org.au, the country has lost 1 in 4 koalas in the last 20 years. At this rate, koala populations could be extinct as early as 2050.
Nonetheless, the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List, the authority on the conservation status of the world’s species, says the koala population is declining and vulnerable — but not endangered. Experts have reportedly said that we are not looking at the death of the species — yet.
What is the current situation?
Things look bad for the animal, yes, as fires force them to leave their habitat – the eucalyptus trees in forest areas – and move to open grounds.
In a report in 2016, experts estimated that there are about 329,000 koalas in Australia, which represents around 24 per cent decline in populations over the past three generations, according to nationalgeographic.com. Though conservationists have been of the opinion that the koala population is hard to examine as they are not stationary, are patchily distributed and hard to spot - they are highly vulnerable to deforestation, disease and climate change effects.
But while some organisations are running campaigns asking people for donations to save the species, several foreign publications have reported scientists warning how exaggeration may only negatively affect conservation rather than helping save the animal.
According to The Conservation, the IUCN’s ‘vulnerable’ tag for the animal has not yet shown any positive results. The primary threat to koalas - loss of habitat - still remains as eucalyptus forests continue to be on a decline.
The word “functionally extinct” was first used in relation with the koala in May this year by a conservationist at the University of Queensland. There is no doubt that the koalas are in danger.
A report in 2018 by The Australian Conservation Foundation revealed that Australia leads in extinction rates worldwide. According to the research, since colonisation, 29 species have become extinct in Australia - United States lost just one.
The report also mentioned how the country will fail to meet international obligations to conserve and protect wildlife if it fails to protect its critical habitats. What needs to be done is to protect, restore, and expand, their homelands. If we could not help keep the species afloat, who knows we might be really looking at the koalas becoming “functionally extinct”.
The views expressed by the author are personal and do not in any way represent those of Times Network.
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