Victoria's Shameful Secret: The Hidden Crises Facing Koalas
IFAW.org
November 18, 2025
Australia has a koala emergency.
Koala populations around the east coast of Queensland and New South Wales (NSW) are plummeting toward extinction and are on the country's endangered species list.
Populations in Victoria and South Australia, despite not being officially endangered, face a shocking decline.
The root cause in both cases is the same -- habitat loss.
But the symptoms are vastly different.
In Queensland and NSW, koalas are scarcely seen because their habitat is so fragmented, driving down their numbers.
Further south, the numbers only tell half the story.
Particularly in Victoria's southwest, koalas can easily be spotted,
But many are starving and emaciated.
Thousands of others are living in swathes of private blue gum plantations, where they're at risk of death every single day.
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With these iconic animals disappearing before our eyes in NSW and Queensland, Victoria's koalas may hold the key to the future survival of the species.
That is why we are calling on you again to take action -- we need an urgent parliamentary inquiry into the ongoing crises facing southwest Victoria's koalas.
Please sign the petition and share with others.
https://ifaw.org/journal/victorias-shameful-secret-hidden-crisis-facing-koalas