Australian Koala Foundation

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Australian Koala Foundation
Founded17 January 1986
FounderSteve Brown
Barry Scott
FocusLong-term conservation of the wild koala
Location
MethodResearch, education, legislation, mopping and planning
Key people
Deborah Tabart, OAM
Websitewww.savethekoala.com

The Australian Koala Foundation (AKF) is registered Australian charity created in 1986,[1] dedicated to the effective management and conservation of the koala and its habitat.[2] It is the principal non-profit, non-governmental organisation dedicated to the conservation and effective management of the wild koala and its habitat.[2]

The AKF lobbies the federal and state governments on issues it sees as pertinent to the conservation of koalas, including around the Sunshine Coast,[3][4] and central Queensland.[5]

In 2020 the AFK claimed the federal government was wasting time and resources on research at the expense of habitat conservation.[6]

In 2016 and 2019 the AFK declared that koalas were "functionally extinct",[7][8] but those claims were subsequently challenged as untrue.[9][10] The claim in May 2019 by the AKF that Australia's koala population was as low as 80,000 animals was challenged by reports that the true population could be more than 300,000.[11]

In 2019 the AKF expressed grave concerns over the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, claiming it did not go far enough to protect koalas.[12]

The 2019–20 Australian bushfire season had a devastating impact on koala habitat and populations. Chairman of the AKF, Deborah Tabart, estimated that over 1,000 koalas were killed and that 80 percent of their habitat has been destroyed.[13][14]

The AFK has lobbied for a specific federal koala protection act,[15] akin to the United States' Bald Eagle Endangered Species Act, which has protected its fauna emblem, the bald eagle, since 1973.[16]

The AKF created "Save the Koala month", held annually each September, to raise funds for its work.[17]

The AFK has been subject to severe criticism from other koala conservationists for not doing enough to protect koalas.[18]

Koala and joey

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Australian Koala Foundation". Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission www.acnc.gov.au. 29 January 2021. Archived from the original on 14 April 2019. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Home". Australian Koala Foundation. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  3. ^ "Koala group 'cynical' about habitat protection scheme". ABC News. 5 November 2012. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  4. ^ "Doubt cast over koala management plan". ABC News. 23 February 2012. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  5. ^ "Koala advocate questions 'pathetic' coal mine EIS". ABC News. 17 December 2012. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  6. ^ "'Koalas need trees': Federal Government accused of wasting time on koala research instead of saving habitat". ABC News. 15 December 2020. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  7. ^ "Koalas now 'functionally extinct'". News.com.au. 16 May 2019. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  8. ^ MCKAY, JACK (10 June 2016). "Koalas need trees, not cash". The Courier-Mail. Archived from the original on 6 June 2021. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  9. ^ "Reports claim koalas are now 'functionally extinct'. That's not actually true". The Feed. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  10. ^ "Koala factcheck: have the Australian bushfires put survival of the species at stake?". The Guardian. 26 November 2019. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  11. ^ "Are koalas really at risk of becoming extinct?". 7NEWS.com.au. 21 May 2019. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  12. ^ Act, Independent review of the EPBC (21 May 2021). "Australian Koala Foundation". Independent review of the EPBC Act. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  13. ^ Nace, Trevor. "Fires May Have Killed Up To 1,000 Koalas, Fueling Concerns Over The Future of the Species". Forbes. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  14. ^ "Fundraisers skyrocket to help koalas dying in Australia". Good Morning America. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  15. ^ "The Australian Koala Foundation has sought the support of leading politicians for a koala protection act". The Northern Daily Leader. 25 May 2016. p. 4.
  16. ^ Moore, Tony (9 May 2019). "How the American bald eagle could play a role in saving our koala". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  17. ^ "September is Save the Koala month". Manning River Times. 9 September 2018. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  18. ^ dgeiger. "Wildlife saviour accuses koala foundation of 'doing nothing'". Sunshine Coast Daily. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Australian_Koala_Foundation&oldid=1159244774"