Scientists take stock of Australian wildlife devastated by fires

From The Scientist, 10 January 2020:

Unprecedented Australian wildfires have extracted a heavy toll from the continent’s unique wildlife, with an estimated 1 billion animals killed, 10.7 million hectares (approximately 41,300 square miles) burned on the east coast, and more than 150 fires still burning in two states alone, according to news reports and the Australian government.

News reports featuring shocking images of injured and dead wildlife, such as kangaroos, koalas, and birds, have dominated headlines in Australia.

“It’s difficult to comprehend the impact that it’s having,” says Natasha Speight, a koala disease researcher and veterinarian at the University of Adelaide in South Australia, whose study populations of koalas have been affected by the fires. Read more.