Concerted climate actions imperative

On Saturday, the local authorities asked the residents on French Island of Australia to evacuate because of the wildfires.

For the koala, a unique species of Oceania, it is news that is worse than bad. Scientists estimate the total number of koalas in the wild to be around 80,000, but by early January there had already been over 20,000, or one-fourth of the total, killed in the Australian wildfires.

French Island has long been considered one of the last castles of the species because the koalas there are healthier than on the rest of the continent. Researchers and animal protection organizations often use koalas from French Island to breed groups in the rest of Australia, but now those on French Island also face grave challenges.