Koalas Saved | National Geographic

it’s the picture-postcard symbol of
Australia because they’re like a fairy
and candy they’re looking like toys I’d
be really hard put to find another
mammal that is so recognizable
internationally and so beloved but love
alone the experts say is not enough to
ensure the koalas future I can tell you
that I believe the koalas feature in
this country is bleak very bleep the
eucalyptus forests that have been home
to koalas are being increasingly claimed
and cleared for housing farms and roads
and according to Deborah tavern the
executive director of the Australian
koala Foundation each tree loss just
adds pressure to these animals
precarious state well this is exactly
the sort of habitat that used to be all
over Australia this is prime koala
habitat and in the last 200 years since
we’ve been here we’ve cleared about 80%
of this so the foundation is pushing for
a national koala act a law to protect
the remaining forests including
incentives for private landowners to
help to have a visionary piece of
legislation that says look this is the
way it is we’re not telling you that you
can’t do everything but if you want
something through future generations
you’re going to have to make some
concessions because you can’t keep doing
it the way it is according to a 1996
study done for the foundation the koalas
are a big revenue earner contributing
around three quarters of a billion US
dollars every year to the Australian
economy the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary in
Brisbane combines conservation and
tourism to the delight of visitors okay
welcome so I’m fine and I come through
and hope my cool
the Foundation says the Koala has been
decimated over the past two centuries
estimating the population has declined
from about ten million to possibly fewer
than 100,000 which is why the foundation
is so determined to make the national
koala act a reality
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