Environment / Animals

What happened to koalas rescued from the Black Summer fires?

13:25 pm on 5 April 2024

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Images of injured koalas and kangaroos were splashed across the news during the 2020 Black Summer bushfires as volunteers carried out rescues. An estimated three billion animals were caught in the fire zone that burned through 8 million hectares of South Eastern Australia. A new study shows that despite rescue efforts, rehabilitation rates for wildlife were much lower than expected. 

Catherine Herbert is an Associate Professor in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation at The University of Sydney. She joins Jesse to discuss.

Photo: AFP