Koalas in New South Wales are getting sick and dying from heat stress

Data from almost 12,000 koalas that received care in the state of New South Wales in Australia from 2020 to 2022 show that the risk of koalas dying or being admitted for care increases significantly when the daily temperature is above 27 degrees Celsius for seven consecutive days.

Valentina Mella at the Sydney School of Veterinary Science, who led the study, said in a comment that rising temperatures and more frequent dry periods are a serious threat to koalas.

"This is confirmed by the fact that the koala population in Gunnedah, once considered the koala capital of the world, is now virtually extinct."

The study was published in Biology Letters.