Zac Levenson – Year 12

Endangered Animals

What do these three pictures have in common? These three incredible Australian animals, the Black-flanked rock wallaby, the Gouldian Finch and the Northern Quoll are all endangered. 

Black-flanked rock wallaby

Gouldian Finch

Northern Quoll

Since the arrival of the British settlers in 1788, there has been huge destruction of wildlife to make way for urban infrastructure. In fact, the Eastern Suburbs was once predominantly mangrove forest but this terrain is almost entirely gone. This destruction has caused major problems for native species since then due to habitat loss and the effects of industrialisation in the form of global warming. That is without mentioning the poaching of various animals like the Tasmanian Tiger and introduction of pests like foxes, rabbits and cane toads which have devastated local species.

Evidently, we have a bad track record with wildlife and while some improvements have been made in the last twenty years with increased governmental and NGO investment in protecting endangered wildlife and species, events like the recent bushfires have caused major damage.

Unfortunately, 2020 has been one of the most hectic years we’ve ever experienced and so many of us have forgotten about the mass devastation of these bushfires. However, we should be aware of the deadly consequences of this event.

The Australian bushfires spanned from June 2019 to May 2020 and caused cataclysmic damage, not just to people and houses, but also to trees and animals. Over 20% of all forest terrain was burnt, an area of about 11.49 million hectares (size of UK)

The WWF declared the bushfires as one of the “worst wildlife disasters in modern history” with an estimated 3 billion animals being killed

This is not like the events of the British invasion 250 years ago. These numbers have occurred in the last year and our actions over the next five years are vitally important in helping replanting wildlife and helping endangered species.

This raises the question – what can we do to help?

While tasks as extensive as this may seem too extensive and intimidating for some, there are a few things we can be doing to really support Australian wildlife and stop species from becoming extinct:

1. Stay informed! Become educated and be vocal. Find news sources and websites like https://www.australianwildlife.org/news/ that show both positive and negative news about Australian wildlife. It is also important to spread awareness of the devastation and need for support for many of our beloved Australian species
2. Become more sustainable! Be more conscious of our carbon footprint and the waste we produce. By doing so, even on a small scale, we are limiting the effects of global warming and pollution on the environment and particularly endangered animals
3. The best way to support this important issue is with time or money. There are many incredible charities which work to protect endangered species as well as looking after nature parks and rivers:

1. 1. • WWF Australia
      • Nature Conservation Council
      • Humane Society International
      • Birdlife
      • And Australian Wildlife Conservancy, which we raised money for today with an animal themed mufti day.