NSW koalas may be extinct before 2050

CANBERRA: Koalas will become extinct in the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) before 2050 unless there is “urgent government intervention”, a parliamentary inquiry found.

The report into the cuddly marsupials was released yesterday after a year-long study by a committee of the Upper House of NSW parliament. Recent bush fires that burnt more than 5.5 million hectares of land in NSW killed at least 5 000 koalas, while the blazes destroyed almost a quarter of koala habitat on public land. Koalas are also found in Victoria, South Australia, and Queensland.