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Natural disaster.  Floods in Australia endanger wildlife

Natural disaster. Floods in Australia endanger wildlife

Wet cola on a fence post in a flooded area in Australia.

Image: dpa

In February and March, Australia was hit by heavy rains for several days. The catastrophic effects of this flood on many animals are enormous.

Experts say the recent catastrophic floods in eastern Australia have also severely affected wildlife. According to animal rights activists, it is not yet clear how many animals died, were injured or lost their habitat.

“We know many habitats have been destroyed – the only consequences of which are catastrophic: many cavemen, such as the iconic Wombat, may have been submerged,” said Brady Mene, of the Aussie Ark, an animal welfare organization. Monday by the German Press Agency.

“Nail in Australian Wildlife Coffin”

Many areas are still inaccessible due to flooding, damaged roads and landslide risk, so the full extent is not yet predictable. Another problem: Many wild animals are forced to move to areas that are not natural, making them more vulnerable to car accidents and predatory attacks. “Natural disasters like this are just another nail in the coffin of Australian wildlife,” Meni said.

Heavy rains in February and March led to historic flooding, especially in the north of the state of New South Wales. Extreme levels of flood danger were announced in at least two places in the last few days.

First wildfire, now flood

The Sydney Morning Herald wrote about “freshwater turtles washed up in the sea, wet vampires, echidnas, birds and pantyhose, starving snakes, abandoned kangaroo cubs and thousands of dead farm animals”. Mark Slate of the Animal Welfare League said it was safe to say that many animals did not die in the massive bushfire that destroyed millions of hectares of land between August 2019 and March 2020. According to the WWF, nearly three billion animals were killed or killed during that time.

In New South Wales alone, 1,043 species are endangered, according to a recent environmental report from the authorities. More than half of the 991 terrestrial species classified as threatened will become extinct in 100 years.

dpa