According to experts, the estimate of 480 million was underestimated and more than a billion wild animals were killed by the fires in Australia
He is about to end up run over, his mother saves himAccording to experts, the estimate of 480 million was underestimated and more than a billion wild animals were killed by the fires in Australia
- burned down in Australia they don't seem to want to give up and, for several months now, they haven't stopped devouring the eucalyptus forests and arid grasslands south of the country.
A few days ago, the estimate of animals who lost their lives to the fires amounted to nearly half a million, but the number could be greatly underestimated.
Chris Dickman, ecologist at the University of Sydney, has in fact made it known that the initial estimate was related only to some areas of the country and also excluded numerous wild species for which insufficient data were available.
According to the professor, taking into account all the areas affected by the fires and including bats, frogs and invertebrates, as well as mammals and birds, wild animals killed by the flames could also exceed one billion.
“The original figure - the 480 million - was based on mammals, birds and reptiles for which we have density, and that figure is a bit out of date now. That's over 800 million, given the scale of the fires now - in New South Wales alone, ”Dickman told the Huffingtonpost.
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Stuart Blanch, scientist at the World Wildlife Fund Australia, confirmed Dickman's hypothesis, reiterating that, considering the expansion of the fires and according to the latest calculations, over a billion wild animals may have been killed.
Ecologists at the University of Sydney and WWF Australia estimate that a billion animals has died in Australia’s bushfires.
“Over a billion would be a very conservative figure,” says Chris Dickman from the University of Sydney. #AustraliaFires https://t.co/b1DHgrGUSd
— Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) January 7, 2020
To these must be added the animals killed voluntarily, including the 10 thousand wild camels that will be shot down by snipers in a helicopter because they drink too much and farm animals: according to the Australian Minister of Agriculture, they could be more than 100 thousand head of cattle killed in the fires. Or the thousands of bees whose hives were destroyed in the fires.
WARNING GRAPHIC. Sorry to share these images near Batlow, NSW. It’s completely heartbreaking. Worst thing I’ve seen. Story must be told. #AustraliaFires pic.twitter.com/E7jrgcuUiv
— Matt Roberts (@ACTcameramatt) January 5, 2020
But it is above all the worrying wildlife losses, as already endangered or highly threatened species may not survive this terrible wave of fires, with huge impacts for the ecosystem.
Read all the updates on fires in Australia
- The record heat in Australia is killing bats, birds and fish
- Do koalas run out of hope? Fires in Australia have destroyed 80% of their habitat
- 22-year-old hunter challenges the flames to save koalas from Australian fires
