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Although not officially classified as endangered, the population of the koala has dropped by 90% in less than a decade! This is due to the destruction of their natural habitat, a narrow crescent on the eastern coast of Australia. Logging, agriculture and urban development have not only reduced the area available to them, but added other dangers. Their habitat has been criss-crossed by roads, resulting in many road kills, and attacks by neighboring pet dogs now are frequent. Disease, too, has taken its toll.
Koalas are inherently gentle animals with a magical ability of being able to awaken compassion in people. This makes the koala a powerful flagship to further the message of conservation, which will be needed in the upcoming years.