AUSTRALIA’S 2019-20 BUSHFIRES: THE WILDLIFE TOLL

Australia’s 2019-20 Bushfires: The Wildlife Toll

In January, as fires still burned, WWF helped inform the world that 1.25 billion animals – mammals, birds and reptiles – were impacted by Australia’s bushfire disaster. This early estimate, led by Professor Chris Dickman working with WWF scientists, generated headlines across the globe and helped people grasp the magnitude of the crisis. WWF, a science-based organisation, felt it was crucial to update this figure. By February, we had commissioned scientists to complete a more detailed and final estimate. Their interim findings, released in this report, are shocking. Nearly 3 billion animals were in the path of the flames.

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Australia's 2019-20 Bushfires: The Wildlife Toll (September 2020)