Context: Australia’s koalas have officially been classified as 'endangered'. Government has upgraded the conservation status of the marsupials from ‘vulnerable’ to ‘endangered’.

Factors that lead to up gradation of status: prolonged drought, black summer bushfires, cumulative impacts of disease, spread of chlamydia, a sexually transmitted disease known to cause blindness and cysts in the koalas reproductive tract, urbanisation and habitat loss.

Significance of this move: The Endangered status of the koala means they and their forest homes should be provided with greater protection under Australia’s national environmental law. Not only will this protect the iconic animal, but many other species living alongside the

About koalas:

• Diet: They survive on a strict diet of up to a kilogram of eucalyptus leaves every day. Due to the low nutritional value of these leaves, koalas tend to sleep for extended periods, often up to 18 hours a day, to conserve energy.

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-why-australia-has-listed-koalas-as-endangered-species-7768081/

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