Original Article: https://blog.theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com/australian-endangered/

“We have no excuses for not saving these species. We know which species they are, where they occur and what threatens them,” said Prof John Woinarski, one of the co-authors of a recent study that shows how minimal conservation efforts can save at least 47 out of the 63 vertebrate animals that will go extinct in 20 years’ time.

The scientists have identified the Australian animals that are likely to be gone forever within two decades, which include those species that can still be saved if only the Albanese government would exert just a little more effort to conserve them. According to the authors, there are practical ways to resolve the problems and threats to the existence of these animals.

The 47 fauna species that Australia may still manage to save on time include the following:

• 21 fish
• 12 birds
• 6 mammals
• 4 reptiles
• 4 frogs

However, some small freshwater fish from the group known as galaxiids may not have much of a chance to survive due to invasive trout. Among these endangered fish are Victoria’s Yalmy galaxias, Kosciuszko national park’s stocky galaxias, and West Gippsland’s galaxias.

There are other vertebrates that are doomed like the galaxiids such as Western Australia’s western ground parrot, South-eastern Australia’s swift parrot, and Victoria’s Baw Baw frog.

The 16 other animals on the team’s list may already be extinct since their existence remains unconfirmed. Meanwhile, the permanent disappearance of at least 4 species is already beyond question including the Victorian grassland earless dragon and the Christmas Island shrew.

“That’s a sobering reminder that what we know of the extinction of fauna in Australia is probably a fraction of what have really become extinct,” said Woinarski. And the situation for the less-protected invertebrate animals is more probably worse.

But research leader Stephen Garnett of Charles Darwin University believes that there is still a chance to save the 47 species they have identified since the solutions do not require huge funding and enormous efforts. A large part of the habitat for these endangered animals are within conservation areas and these sites can be easily managed locally.

Another effective measure that the government can adopt is to include these animals in the official list for their protection under national environmental laws.

Euan Ritchie, a professor in wildlife ecology and conservation at Deakin University, was motivated by the team’s findings in making the following comment, “It’s well established that Australia’s conservation record and ongoing predicament is utterly abysmal. With the recent change of government, perhaps we’ll also see a sorely needed change of heart and a far stronger commitment towards ending Australia’s extinction crisis.”

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Source: The Animal Rescue Site Blog