Koalas, people and climate change: not a good mix

The koala is an iconic Australian native marsupial that has a very limited diet. It can only eat certain trees – predominantly eucalypts – that contain particular leaf chemistry (such as high levels of nitrogen) and moisture. The koala’s habitat and food trees have been relentlessly cleared since European settlement. Koalas were also hunted to near extinction in many parts of eastern Australia for the fur trade. On 22 September, a Senate inquiry released its report, The koala - saving our national icon. The inquiry made 19 recommendations, and called for more funding for koala research. The environment minister is now considering whether to list the species as threatened