Half a Million Animals Killed in Fires in Australia

More than 500,000 animals have been killed in wildfires in Australia, NOVA reports.

The accounts are from environmentalists at the University of Sydney, published by Evening Standard.

The fire has burned nearly 8,000 koalas in the state of New South Wales, which is one-third of the species population there. According to federal environment minister Sussan Ley, the largest population of about 28,000 koalas lived in the state before the devastating wildfire.

"The koalas are not fast enough to escape the fire. That is why the number of animals killed is significant, "explained environmentalist Mark Graham.

In December, a NSW government inquiry was told that thousands of koalas had been killed, and the fires were do large "we will probably never find the bodies", The Guardian reported.

In the meantime, 72 koalas affected by the flames have been assisted at a unique veterinary hospital in New South Wales. The facility is on standby and accepts animals brought by caring Australians every day. From September to Christmas, the nonprofit organization that maintains the hospital raised nearly $ 1.5 million in donations.

Australia's fiery hell has so far consumed more than 50,000 square kilometers of the continent. Nine people died and hundreds of homes burned down.