The World Wildlife Fund is reporting that a billion animals have been killed in the Australian wildfires. A billion. That's a staggering number. If you're like me you've seen countless heartbreaking videos on the news and online - and with each one my gut instinct is to drop everything I'm doing, hop on a plane with my luggage full of water and try to personally give a drink to each of those poor animals fighting for their lives. Obviously, that's not a realistic course of action for most of us, but we can still do our part to help.
Koalas are just one of the many species affected by the Australian wildfires - they are officially classified as a threatened species - the Australian Koala Foundation estimates that there are only 100,000 koalas left after the wildfires - which are still burning with no signs of stopping.
Koalas (on top of being incredible adorable) protect the habitat of a wide range of animal and plant species including gliders, wombats, reptiles, birds & more - the loss is staggering and will have a ripple effect on the environment and lives of countless other species - I could go on an on, but now I want to outline the best ways to help:
Instead of quitting your job and booking your plane ticket, consider donating to one of the following organizations:
World Wildlife Fund
Donations to the the World Wildlife Fund will go towards supporting the injured animals impacted by the fires, particularly the koalas. You can donate to the WWF here.
WIRES
Wildlife rescue nonprofit Wildlife Information, Rescue and Education Service (WIRES) is rescuing and caring for thousands of injured, orphaned, and homeless native animals. You can donate to WIRES here.
Port Macquarie Koala Hospital
Donations to the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital will go towards installing automatic drinking stations for wildlife searching for water in Australia’s burnt areas. Donations will also support the establishment of a wild koala breeding program, designed with the hopes of reversing the species’s threat of extinction. Donate to the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital’s GoFundMe page here.
RSPCA of New South Wales
The RSPCA of New South Wales is working to evacuate, rescue and treat pets, livestock and wildlife in impacted areas. Make a donation to the RSPCA of New South Wales here.