News Animals

Australian fires have incinerated the habitats of up to 100 threatened species

Scientists warn of an ecological catastrophe as crucial habitats of rare plants and animals burn

Rescuer with koala

Wildlife rescuer Simon Adamczyk carries a singed koala from the smoldering remnants of gum forests on Kangaroo Island on January 7.

David Mariuz/​EPA-EFE/​Shutterstock

By John Pickrell

Until last week, the Kangaroo Island glossy black cockatoo was one of Australia’s conservation success stories. Thanks to a recovery program that began in 1995, its wild population increased from 150 to 400, and its status was downgraded from critically endangered to endangered.