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The Earth has lost 60% of its wildlife since 1970, according to a new dark report.
But the number of koalas in Australia has declined at an even faster rate, and the beloved national animal is highly likely to disappear entirely from certain regions.
The WWF Group has published today its report on the Living Planet, a comprehensive study of 16,704 populations of 4005 vertebrate species worldwide from 1970 to 2014.
He described the global decline of species – an average rate of 13.6% every 10 years, or 60% in total – as a "sinister" result of human pressure on nature.
The numbers are alarming, but koala populations along the east coast of Australia have dropped even faster, at a rate of 21% per decade.
This shocking statistic can be explained by another figure presented in the report: Eastern Australia is one of the eleven worst fronts of deforestation in the world and the only developed country on the list.
"It's a wake up call for our east coast to appear alongside hot spots renowned for the destruction of forests such as the Amazon, the Congo Basin, Sumatra and Borneo," said WWF Australia's director , Dermot O'Gorman.
The clearing of livestock is listed as the main cause of forest loss, with unsustainable logging being an important secondary cause.
According to WWW Australia, koalas will completely disappear from nature by 2050.
The group accuses the state government of suppressing forest protection laws, saying it is only signing the death warrant for the species.
"The government must urgently rescind its recent suppression of laws, which has tripled the destruction of the koala habitat in northwestern New South Wales," O'Gorman said. .
"The critical situation of koalas is accompanied by alarming declines for many other Australian-only species that are losing their forests.
"The purchase of land is welcome but will save only a fraction of the koala habitat. Stricter laws on forest protection are essential.
The Queensland government has taken steps to strengthen habitat protection and sanctuary investments for koalas in the state, which have also seen a significant decline in numbers over the past few decades.
This week, NSW's trade union opposition announced plans to reinstate land clearing laws and create new national parks, including a koala area on the north coast.
He will also hold a Koala summit to plan a more effective action across the state, should he win the next election.
At the global level, WWF has stated that the main drivers of biodiversity loss are overexploitation of wild populations and destruction of their habitats.
"Nature has silently supported and nurtured our societies and economies for centuries and continues to do so today," said Marco Lambertini, Chief Executive Officer of WWF International.
"In return, the world has continued to take nature and its services for granted, not acting against the accelerated loss of nature.
"It is time for us to realize that a healthy and sustainable future for all is possible only on a planet where nature is flourishing and where forests, oceans and rivers abound with biodiversity and life. "
The Living Planet report has proposed a roadmap to reverse the fate of global wildlife, including ambitious protection goals.
