Hundreds of koalas feared dead in severe Australian bushfire
Wildlife officials said Wednesday that hundreds of koalas are feared dead or injured in a severe bushfire burning on Australia's east coast.
Wildlife officials said Wednesday that hundreds of koalas are feared dead or injured in a severe bushfire burning on Australia's east coast.
The out-of-control bushfire started Saturday in Port Macquarie, roughly 400 kilometers north of Sydney, and has burned through 2,200 hectares of bushland including significant koala breeding areas.
It's a known koala breeding area and we know from our research there's probably hundreds of koalas in there," Sue Ashton, president of the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital, said by phone, Kyodo News reports.
The population there is very special because they are genetically diverse and very adaptable. They have good bloodlines so that's why it's such a concern to us."
In a bushfire, koalas climb up as high as they can and curl up into a little ball, so if some fire goes past them it will usually just singe their fur and if that happens they're OK," she said.
But if they get burned they get burns very severely."
Ashton said the hospital team's greatest fear is that surviving koalas may burn their paws and claws as they attempt to climb down singed or still-burning tree trunks.
If their paws and claws are damaged so badly they can no longer climb, then the koala...is in a lot of trouble," she said, adding that koalas with such injuries should not be returned into the wild.
On Wednesday, the New South Wales Rural Fire Service said fire conditions are easing, and Ashton is hopeful that trained rescuers will be able to begin bringing koalas into the hospital from Thursday or Friday.
Basically all the koalas (the rescuers) can find will be brought in (to the hospital) because even if they've survived the fire, there's no food for them there now," Ashton, whose hospital can house up to 40 koalas, said.
Koalas are one of Australia's most iconic animals. However, climate change, urban expansion, land clearing and sexually transmitted chlamydia pose threats to the koala population, which studies estimate ranges from 330,000 to as low as 80,000.
In 2012, the Australian government listed the country's most at-risk koala populations -- including those located in Port Macquarie -- as "vulnerable" under national environment law.
Source: Kazinform News Agency
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Number of dead seals along Caspian coast rises to 850
Images | Depositphotos
Another 115 carcasses of dead seals have been gathered on the Caspian Sea coast and delivered from the Aktau recreation area to the Kuryk Port, Kazinform News Agency reports.
Thus, the number of dead seals has already reached 850.
According to Andrey Rutskoy, acting chief of Mangistau region’s fishery inspection department, a working group consisting of inspectors, ecologists, local officials and representatives of public associations, is examining the beach. "Rocky beaches are hard to reach. The working group will go there on foot," he said.
He added that collecting samples from the last seals found is impossible, as the carcasses decomposed at the 3rd and 4th stages. The results of the samples taken at the end of October are not ready yet.
Recall that from October 24 to 28, 289 carcasses of dead seals were discovered by the employees of the Zhaiyk-Caspian Interregional Basin Fisheries Inspectorate together with the representatives of the Institute of Hydrobiology and Ecology. Over half of the dead female seals were pregnant, Assel Baimukanova, an operator at the Institute of Hydrobiology and Ecology, said.
In 2020, the Caspian seal was included in Kazakhstan’s Red Book of Endangered Species.
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Large boulder kills three people in Uzbekistan
Images | the road safety service of the Republic of Uzbekistan
A massive boulder fell from a mountain in southern Uzbekistan and smashed a passing Chevrolet Cobalt vehicle, killing three people inside, Kazinform News Agency reports.
According to the road safety service, the incident took place at the Takhtakaracha pass in Kashkadarya region on November 6.
Due to the incident that occurred at the 1138th km of the M-39 Tashkent-Termez highway at Takhtakaracha pass in the Kitob district of the Kashkadarya province and links Samarkand and Kashkadarya regions, traffic was temporarily halted," the road safety service stated.
Recall that a total 19,302 road accidents, affecting more than 26,703 individuals have been recorded in Kazakhstan over the course of nine months in 2024.
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Earthquake hits Almaty
The citizens of Almaty felt an earthquake today, at around 10:00 am, Kazinform News Agency reports.
According to the national seismological center, the quake’s preliminary magnitude was 4.5, local emergencies authorities said.
The epicenter of the quake was 33 kilometers east of Almaty, in the territory of Kazakhstan. The coordinates of the epicenter are 43.261 north latitude, and 77.310 east longitude.
The earthquake was felt in the following settlements: Almaty - 3 points, Talgar - 4 points, Yessik - 4 points, Turgen village - 3 points, Otegen Batyr village - 3 points, Boralday village - 2 points, Malovodnoye village - 2 points, Kaiypov village - 2 points, Alatau (Zhetigen) - 2 points, and Karassai (Kaskelen) - 2 points.
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Wildfires in Pavlodar region extinguished, localized in Karaganda region
Images | Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Kazakhstan
The wildfire in Pavlodar region has been extinguished, Kazinform News Agency learned from the ministry of emergencies.
The wildfire in Pavlodar region has been extinguished. The area of the fire is being determined," a statement from the ministry reads.
As reported, on October 6, a steppe fire broke out in Karaganda region, which then spread to the territory of Pavlodar region. The fire covered an area of 3,000 hectares. At 02:20 the fire, which had already spread to an area of 10,000 hectares in the Bayanaul district of Pavlodar region, was localized.
18 residents of Zheltau village in Pavlodar region, including eight children, were evacuated to a safe area.
The wildfire in Karaganda region was localized. The area of the fire is being determined.
33-year-old firefighter from Saran town, Karaganda region, Khali Khairat, died during the steppe fire in Karkaraly district on Sunday, October 6. Another four firefighters got injuries and were hospitalized.
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One firefighter died, four injured in steppe fire in Karaganda region
Images | Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Kazakhstan
33-year-old firefighter from Saran town, Karaganda region, died during the steppe fire in Karkaraly district on Sunday, October 6. Another four firefighters got injuries and were hospitalized, Kazinform News Agency learned from the local emergencies department.
Khali Khairat has served in the civil protection authorities since May 12, 2014. Governor of the region Yermaganbet Bulekpayev and Mayor of Saran Yerkin Baulikov visited his family and expressed their condolences. Local officials provided necessary assistance in the organization of the funeral.
The regional healthcare department revealed the condition of the four injured firefighters. All of them were taken to the Karkaraly Central Hospital, after which they were transported to the Makazhanov Multifunctional Clinic. Their condition is stable, health authorities said.
On October 6, a steppe fire broke out in the Karkaraly district of Karaganda region. To extinguish the fire, all services of the Ministry of Emergencies were involved, including 111 emergency response officers, law enforcement agencies, 27 units of various vehicles and equipment, and a fire extinguishing operations center was deployed. The governor of the region held a meeting with the operational headquarters at the scene of the incident.
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Passenger bus falls off bridge on a minivan in Almaty region
Images | gov.kz
A passenger bus crashed through the guardrails on a bridge and fell on a minibus in Kaskelen, Almaty region, Kazinform News Agency reports.
The video capturing the crash was shared on social media. A criminal case was initiated.
The Yutong Bus driver reportedly lost control turning on the bride, crashed through the guardrails, and plunged on the Mercedes Benz Sprinter minivan. No casualties were reported. The critically injured bus driver was rushed to the intensive care unit, the police department said in a statement.
The bus driver tested negative for alcohol.
For the past four years, nearly 1,000 road accidents involving public transport occurred in Almaty.
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