China's Demand For Coal Threatens Koalas

[Omaha Steve]

X post in Environment

Australian environmentalists say a Chinese company’s plan to build a massive mine in the marsupial’s Australian habitat will push it closer to extinction.



(Photo: DeAgostini/Getty Images)


http://www.takepart.com/article/2015/05/06/koalas-face-new-threat-chinese-coal-mining

May 06, 2015 By John R. Platt

John R. Platt covers the environment, technology, philanthropy, and more for Scientific American, Conservation, Lion, and other publications.


Australia’s iconic koalas have had a rough go lately.

The cuddly marsupials have lost thousands of acres of their eucalyptus tree habitat to development and forest fires. On the ground, they all-too-frequently get attacked by dogs or run over by cars. Heck, they’re even dealing with outbreaks of sexually transmitted diseases.

As if all of that weren’t enough, now they have a new threat on their paws: A massive open-pit coal mine proposed by the Chinese company Shenhua.

Planned for construction in the state of New South Wales, the coal mine would take over more than 2,000 acres of prime koala habitat and thousands of additional acres of agricultural land. The area is reported to be home to about a thousand koalas, which are already suffering from heat waves and drought. The region held more than 12,000 koalas less a decade ago.

Shenhua said any koalas impacted by the mine will be able to migrate to new habitat. Any animals that don’t move on their own, the company said, would be picked up and transplanted.

FULL story at link.

[msongs]

1. sonds like koala ethnic cleansing nt

[KamaAina]

2. They're not really that cuddly

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koala

Adult males communicate with loud bellows—low pitched sounds that consist of snore-like inhalations and resonant exhalations that sound like growls. It has been hypothesized that these sounds are generated by unique vocal organs found in koalas. Because of their low frequency, these bellows can travel far through air and vegetation. Koalas may bellow at any time of the year, particularly during the breeding season, when it serves to attract females and possibly intimidate other males. They also bellow to advertise their presence to their neighbours when they enter a new tree. These sounds signal the male's actual body size as well as exaggerate it; females pay more attention to bellows that originate from larger males....

Agonistic behaviour typically consists of squabbles between individuals climbing over or passing each other. This occasionally involves biting. Males who are strangers may wrestle, chase and bite each other. In extreme situations, a male may try to displace a smaller rival from a tree. This involves the larger aggressor climbing up and attempting to corner the victim, who tries either to rush past him and climb down or to move to the end of a branch. The aggressor attacks by grasping the target by the shoulders and repeatedly biting him. Once the weaker individual is driven away, the victor bellows and marks the tree. Pregnant and lactating females are particularly aggressive and will attack individuals that come too close...

Early European settlers in Australia considered the koala to be a prowling sloth-like animal with a "fierce and menacing look".

Still well worth preserving, though.