Climate Change is Dehydrating Koalas Until They Fall Off Trees, Unable to Cope
Climate change is drying out the planet, causing drought, famine, wildfires — and making parched koalas drop from trees. These otherwise very hardy creatures evolved to survive previous waves of heat, dry spells, floods, and more, but they simply can’t handle the level of intensity they are now facing. Researchers in Australia are finding evidence of dehydrated, desperate koalas crawling into humans’ backyards to lap up water in birdbaths. And in severe cases, their severe lack of water has caused these expert tree-climbers to fall out of their trees. Unlike humans, wildlife are completely powerless to do anything about climate devastation. These koalas are completely at the mercy of our leaders’ action or inaction about global warming.
Despite constantly-worsening climate conditions, the Australian government seems committed to making the problem more severe. At the end of 2021, while the United Nations shared data confirming that we must end fossil fuel reliance, Australia’s federal leaders instead began exploring the possibility of allowing more oil and gas extraction off their coasts. Such activities would unequivocally exacerbate global warming — meaning koalas will suffer. This species is already endangered, and we can’t afford to take risks with their survival. Sign the petition to tell the Australian government that it must save the koalas by fighting climate change, including by banning any further drilling off their coasts!