Science claims the official koala bear 'extinct in function' but what does that mean?

Koala Australia has just released the latest announcement about the quantity of koala bears in the wild. Accordingly, they believe that currently in Australia there are less than 80,000 individuals, and this makes them officially fall into the "extinct function" state - functionally extinct .

But what does "extinction function" mean?

The term is used in a number of different situations - and is dangerous for the animal in question. First, it means to imply that the number of one species has decreased so much that there is no longer any effect on the ecosystem .

Dingo - a wild dog in Australia - once fell into this situation. Once one of Australia's best predators, the number of dingo dogs has been reduced to such a pitiful level that no matter how mad the hunting is, it will not affect their prey numbers.

Koala bears only a small community.

In the case of koala, for millions of years, they have been a major factor in the "health" of eucalyptus forests in Australia. They feed on the leaves of trees high, discharging feces that carry nutrients to feed the plants. In addition, fossil evidence indicates that koala bears were an important prey of a large (extinct) carnivore.

Secondly, "extinction function" is used when the number of a species is reduced to a level that cannot be sustained. As the coral oyster in Queensland has lost 99% of its habitat, and in the wild there is no longer enough quantity to reproduce - they are classified as "extinct function".

Finally, this term is also used when animals have only one community too small. Although it is still possible to reproduce, the possibility of becoming less and less leads to a situation that is difficult to survive in the future.

Science confirms that many of the koala communities in Australia are falling into this situation. The number is decreasing, while the genome is also shrinking. It is estimated that the number of koala in Queensland and New South Wales has decreased by 80%.

How many individuals are left?

For those interested in koala, the most frequently asked question is "how many individuals are left in the wild?"

The question is short and clear, but not easy to answer. Koala bears do not usually stay in one place. They move a lot, have a wide distribution, often hide quite carefully so it is difficult to observe. So in order to conclude the extinct koala bear in function, science needs a great effort.

Koala bears have been listed as endangered in some parts of Australia.

In 2016, a study of 15 Australian experts was launched to determine the number of koala trends. According to calculations in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria, the number of koala decreased by 53%, 26%, and 14%, respectively. In total, there are about 329,000 individuals in Australia, with a decrease of 24% in the next 3 generations.

Since 2012, koala bears have been listed as endangered in some parts of Australia, even locally extinct in some regions. But at the present time, the two words "endangered" in the list no longer reflect the true state of the koala, but the situation is getting worse.

The threat to the number of koala is increasing. The first is the loss of habitat - the favorite eucalyptus forest of the koala is shrinking very fast. In addition, climate change that causes record heat events also makes the life of koala more tragic.

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