The koalas of South Australia are suffering a conservation catastrophe.
The Black Summer bushfires, disease, habitat degradation, and deforestation have reduced koala populations throughout Eastern Australia to the point where they are now in danger of going extinct.
But things are different in the Mount Lofty Ranges of South Australia. The population of koalas is increasing to such an extent that their habitat and food sources are being severely strained.
Tthe researchers discovered that koala numbers in several places are higher than what the South Australian government deems viable using data from thousands of citizen science sightings and sophisticated spatial modeling.
If nothing is done, this number could increase by an additional 17 to 25 percent over the next 25 years, affecting natural ecosystems, plants, and the food supply. Ten percent or so of Australia’s koala population live in the Mount Lofty Ranges.
