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Cope HR, McArthur C, Gray R, Newsome TM, Dickman CR, Sriram A, Haering R, Herbert CA. Trends in Rescue and Rehabilitation of Marsupials Surviving the Australian 2019-2020 Bushfires. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:1019. [PMID: 38612258 PMCID: PMC11011103 DOI: 10.3390/ani14071019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Revised: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
The 2019-2020 Australian bushfire season had a devastating impact on native wildlife. It was estimated that 3 billion native animals were impacted by the fires, yet there are few estimates of the number of animals that were rescued and rehabilitated post-fire. Focusing on the state of New South Wales (NSW) and Kangaroo Island, South Australia, we used a case study approach to determine the number of marsupials that were reported rescued due to the 2019-2020 bushfires in these areas and analysed species-specific trends in rescue and release success. In NSW, we found 889 reports of fire-affected marsupials in 2019-2020, mostly comprising kangaroos and wallabies (macropods; n = 458), koalas (n = 204), and possums (n = 162), with a smaller number of wombats (n = 43) and other marsupial species. Most reports of fire-affected marsupials occurred 6-8 weeks after fire ignition, and there was no difference in temporal frequency of rescues between marsupial groups. For the three main groups, the probability of survival and subsequent release differed, with macropods having the lowest probability of release after rescue (0.15 ± 0.04) compared to koalas (0.47 ± 0.04) and possums (0.55 ± 0.10). The type of injury was the main predictor of survival during rehabilitation for all three marsupial groups, with those malnourished/moribund or with traumatic injuries less likely to survive rehabilitation. Death or euthanasia occurred on the day of rescue for 77% of macropods, 48% of possums and 15% of koalas. Koalas most often died during rehabilitation rather than on the day of rescue, with 73% either dying or being euthanised between day 1 and 30 post-rescue, representing a potential welfare concern. On Kangaroo Island, koalas were the most frequently rescued marsupial species; most euthanasia cases and deaths occurred in a hospital, whereas other marsupials were mostly euthanised at triage. In both jurisdictions, koalas were over-represented while possums were under-represented relative to baseline population densities and wildlife rescue trends in the years before the 2019-2020 bushfires. These species differences in presentation post-fire warrant further investigation, as do the differences in triage, survival and release outcomes. It is hypothesised that the high intensity and large scale of the 2019-2020 fires impeded marsupial fire evasion tactics, as evidenced by the small number of animals found for rescue, and the differing rates of presentation relative to underlying population densities for the main marsupial groups. Based on our findings, there is a need for detailed record keeping and data sharing, development of consistent and evidence-based triage, treatment and euthanasia guidelines and deployment of trained wildlife emergency rescue teams with advanced search techniques to minimise animal suffering where safe to do so.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holly R. Cope
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia; (H.R.C.); (R.G.)
| | - Clare McArthur
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia; (C.M.); (T.M.N.); (C.R.D.)
| | - Rachael Gray
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia; (H.R.C.); (R.G.)
| | - Thomas M. Newsome
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia; (C.M.); (T.M.N.); (C.R.D.)
| | - Christopher R. Dickman
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia; (C.M.); (T.M.N.); (C.R.D.)
| | - Aditi Sriram
- New South Wales Department of Climate Change, Energy the Environment and Water, National Parks and Wildlife Service, Parramatta, NSW 2150, Australia
| | - Ron Haering
- New South Wales Department of Climate Change, Energy the Environment and Water, National Parks and Wildlife Service, Parramatta, NSW 2150, Australia
| | - Catherine A. Herbert
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia; (C.M.); (T.M.N.); (C.R.D.)
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Lane MR, Lowe A, Vukcevic J, Clark RG, Madani G, Higgins DP, Silver L, Belov K, Hogg CJ, Marsh KJ. Health Assessments of Koalas after Wildfire: A Temporal Comparison of Rehabilitated and Non-Rescued Resident Individuals. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:2863. [PMID: 37760263 PMCID: PMC10525633 DOI: 10.3390/ani13182863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Revised: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Many koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) required rehabilitation after the 2019/20 Australian megafires. Little is known about how the post-release health of rehabilitated koalas compares to non-rescued resident koalas. We evaluated health parameters in rehabilitated koalas and resident koalas in burnt and unburnt habitat in southern New South Wales, Australia. Health checks were undertaken within six weeks of fire (rehabilitated group), 5-9 months post-fire and 12-16 months post-fire. Body condition improved significantly over time in rehabilitated koalas, with similar condition between all groups at 12-16 months. Rehabilitated koalas therefore gained body condition at similar rates to koalas who remained and survived in the wild. The prevalence of Chlamydia pecorum was also similar between groups and timepoints, suggesting wildfire and rehabilitation did not exacerbate disease in this population. While there was some variation in measured serum biochemistry and haematology parameters between groups and timepoints, most were within normal reference ranges. Our findings show that koalas were generally healthy at the time of release and when recaptured nine months later. Landscapes in the Monaro region exhibiting a mosaic of burn severity can support koalas, and rehabilitated koala health is not compromised by returning them to burnt habitats 4-6 months post-fire.
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Affiliation(s)
- Murraya R. Lane
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia;
| | - Arianne Lowe
- Stromlo Veterinary Services, P.O. Box 3963, Weston, ACT 2611, Australia;
| | | | - Robert G. Clark
- Research School of Finance, Actuarial Studies and Statistics, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia;
| | - George Madani
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia;
| | - Damien P. Higgins
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia;
| | - Luke Silver
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia; (L.S.); (K.B.); (C.J.H.)
| | - Katherine Belov
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia; (L.S.); (K.B.); (C.J.H.)
| | - Carolyn J. Hogg
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia; (L.S.); (K.B.); (C.J.H.)
| | - Karen J. Marsh
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia;
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Tkaczynski A, Rundle‐Thiele S. Koala conservation in South East Queensland: A grey literature review analysis. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.12874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Aaron Tkaczynski
- Faculty of Business, Economics and Law University of Queensland St Lucia Queensland Australia
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