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The state of New South Wales (NSW) in Australia has launched the NSW Koala Strategy to address its declining koala population.
The three-year plan aims to allocate US$34 million for the implementation of conservation efforts. This move was prompted by a 2016 assessment of the koala’s population that was spearheaded by Professor Mary O’Kane, NSW’s chief scientist.
Findings of the assessment showed that there has been a 26% decrease in the koala population over the past two decades. This decline is attributed to factors like habitat loss, dog attacks, diseases, car strikes, and climate change.
The conservation efforts will focus on creating natural habitats for koalas using around 25,000 hectares of state forest. The budget will also be used to build a koala hospital where sick or hurt koalas can be nursed. Having a primary wildlife rescue hotline for koalas in danger is also part of the strategy. Additionally, the plan aims to fix hazardous areas to avoid roadkill.
To ensure the action plans’ effectiveness, the NSW government will evaluate the strategy’s outcomes after the three-year execution. The succeeding actions will be adjusted based on the evaluation results.
In addition, the NSW government aims to involve the entire community in order to achieve the strategy’s objectives.
Thus, the government is urging the community members to take part in the conservation efforts by volunteering at national parks, joining organizations, and even becoming a wildlife caretaker. People in the community are also encouraged to become citizen scientists who will be responsible for overseeing the attainment of the action plans.