Post by Andrei Tchentchik on Mar 4, 2020 15:53:28 GMT 2
(.#A.064).- Australia, a third of Kangaroo Island ravaged by fire.
Australia, a third of Kangaroo Island ravaged by fire.
By: Brice Louvet, science editor
January 9, 2020, 1 h 29 min
Kangaroo Island in Australia on January 7, 2020. Credits: NASA
Off the coast of Australia, about a third of Kangaroo Island has already been burned due to bush fires, according to new NASA satellite images.
Kangaroo Island is the third largest island in Australia after Tasmania and Melville Island. Here you will find sea lions, koalas, various species of birds, and of course thousands of kangaroos. The island even harbors very rare purebred honey bees and ants that drink urine.
The vast majority of this incredible wildlife lives in nature reserves that cover about a third of the island. Unfortunately, this very popular destination for nature lovers is also not spared from fires.
A third of the territory burned
The fires started operating after lightning struck the middle of Flinders Chase National Park a few days ago. Since then the flames have continued to spread. According to new NASA reports, they have so far consumed about a third of the island's land.
The images below bear witness to this. The first was taken by NASA's Terra satellite on December 16, 2019 before the fire was declared. And the next one was taken on January 7 by the same satellite.
In total, the US agency estimates that about 155,000 hectares of land have been burned to date. And some areas are currently still on fire.
Kangaroo Island visible on December 16, 2019.
Credits: NASA
Kangaroo Island in Australia on January 7, 2020. Credits: NASA
Animal species pushed to extinction
According to local environmentalists, around 25,000 koalas perished in the fires. It’s about half the workforce on this island. But they are not the only ones.
Near the Western River, biologist Pat Hodgens installed cameras a few months ago to photograph the famous Dunnart on Kangaroo Island. This little marsupial, which looks like a mouse, does not exist anywhere else in the world. Since then, fires have ravaged the area. And as he tells the Guardian, the majority of these little animals are probably no more than burnt carcasses today.
Professor Sarah Legge of the Australian National University also said that the fate of this small marsupial symbolized what is happening all over the east coast of Australia. "Dozens of endangered species have been badly affected by the fires," she said. In some cases, “almost their entire distribution area has been burned”.
More generally, researchers estimate that these fires will push several species to extinction. Decades of conservation efforts are being wiped out and, given current climate change, it is a safe bet that the majority of them will never be able to recover.
F I N .
Australia, a third of Kangaroo Island ravaged by fire.
By: Brice Louvet, science editor
January 9, 2020, 1 h 29 min
Kangaroo Island in Australia on January 7, 2020. Credits: NASA
Off the coast of Australia, about a third of Kangaroo Island has already been burned due to bush fires, according to new NASA satellite images.
Kangaroo Island is the third largest island in Australia after Tasmania and Melville Island. Here you will find sea lions, koalas, various species of birds, and of course thousands of kangaroos. The island even harbors very rare purebred honey bees and ants that drink urine.
The vast majority of this incredible wildlife lives in nature reserves that cover about a third of the island. Unfortunately, this very popular destination for nature lovers is also not spared from fires.
A third of the territory burned
The fires started operating after lightning struck the middle of Flinders Chase National Park a few days ago. Since then the flames have continued to spread. According to new NASA reports, they have so far consumed about a third of the island's land.
The images below bear witness to this. The first was taken by NASA's Terra satellite on December 16, 2019 before the fire was declared. And the next one was taken on January 7 by the same satellite.
In total, the US agency estimates that about 155,000 hectares of land have been burned to date. And some areas are currently still on fire.
Kangaroo Island visible on December 16, 2019.
Credits: NASA
Kangaroo Island in Australia on January 7, 2020. Credits: NASA
Animal species pushed to extinction
According to local environmentalists, around 25,000 koalas perished in the fires. It’s about half the workforce on this island. But they are not the only ones.
Near the Western River, biologist Pat Hodgens installed cameras a few months ago to photograph the famous Dunnart on Kangaroo Island. This little marsupial, which looks like a mouse, does not exist anywhere else in the world. Since then, fires have ravaged the area. And as he tells the Guardian, the majority of these little animals are probably no more than burnt carcasses today.
Professor Sarah Legge of the Australian National University also said that the fate of this small marsupial symbolized what is happening all over the east coast of Australia. "Dozens of endangered species have been badly affected by the fires," she said. In some cases, “almost their entire distribution area has been burned”.
More generally, researchers estimate that these fires will push several species to extinction. Decades of conservation efforts are being wiped out and, given current climate change, it is a safe bet that the majority of them will never be able to recover.
F I N .
