Kangaroo Island

Kangaroo Island lies approximately 13.5 kilometres south of the Australian mainland within the State of South Australia. It is believed that approximately one third to one half of Kangaroo Island has been razed by fires. The fires were considered to be started by lightning strikes within the Flinders Chase National Park on the western end of the island where there is access to the most iconic features of the island, The Remarkables and Admiral’s Arch.

Kangaroo Island’s famous Ligurian honeybee colony, claimed to be the only pure breed, disease free bees of this type in the world, has also been affected. It is thought at this stage that hundreds of hives may have been destroyed including their habitat.

Of the estimated 50,000 koalas, disease free, living on the island, at least half would have been wiped out. Those that are left would be struggling to survive as most of their habitat has been destroyed. These koalas live in the trees and are slow moving and would have had little hope of escaping the blaze.

Koalas, kangaroos, pademelons are still being found alive in the Flinders Chase National Park, and the injured are being taken to the makeshift hospital, however starvation due to lack of habitat is a serious issue.

It is estimated that possibly100,000 livestock animals, mostly sheep, have been destroyed.

I believe that the Kangaroo Island Land for Wildlife organisation had eight sites on private land protecting several endangered species, including dunnarts, goannas, echidnas, bandicoots and the glossy black-cockatoos. All sites were extensively burned.

These numbers are almost incomprehensible. With the loss of koalas on Kangaroo Island and on the mainland, their numbers are close to being considered an endangered species.

At the time of writing, on this small island, 3 lives have been lost, 56 houses burnt, small businesses and livelihoods destroyed on Kangaroo Island, animals and habitats have been wiped out on an immense scale.

Out of these disasters, compassion, empathy, the desire to help others and concern for our unique animals, has emerged on a global scale. Let us hope that in the aftermath, solutions will be found to manage the effects of changes in our climate, sooner, rather than later.