Is the Koala vulnerable?

A report was released today entitled "The Koala - Saving our National Icon'. I was astounded to learn that the Koala (it is NOT a bear) is regarded as 'common'. It is quite rare, in my experience, to see a Koala in the wild.

The Environmental Species Protection Act (1992) follows international practice, categorising our fauna as either:

Extinct
Extinct in the Wild
Critically Endangered
Endangered
Vulnerable
Conservation Dependant
Near Threatened
Least Concern

The report tabled today recommends the Koala be categorised as 'vulnerable'.

Since European settlement in 1788 the Koala population has declined from in excess of 10 million to 43,000. Drought, land-clearing, urban development, wildfires and diseases such as chlamydia and the koala retrovirus were all factors, but the single greatest threat was habitat loss.

Learn more than you need to know about the Koala at The Australian Koala Foundation.