Australian animals at ‘imminent risk of extinction’ after bush fires

More than 100 animal species in Australia could be lost forever without urgent intervention as a result of the bush fire crisis, a new report shows.

A panel of experts appointed by the Australian government has found 113 native animal species will need intensive support to survive, with some of them classified as facing imminent extinction.

Almost all of the 113 species have lost at least 30 per cent of their habitat, and some have lost much more than that.

The list of species under threat includes 13 birds, 19 mammals, 20 reptiles, 17 frogs, five invertebrates, 22 spiny crayfish, and 17 freshwater fish species and was drawn up by the government’s Wildlife and Threatened Species Bushfire Recovery Expert Panel.

The panel has not determined the full extent of the damage as many areas are still too dangerous to visit.

Among those species at greatest risk are the Kangaroo Island dunnart, the northern corroboree frog, the Blue Mountains water skink, and the Kangaroo Island glossy black cockatoo.

Read more via The Telegraph/ BBC