Bushfires across Australia have killed at least 27 people, damaged over 2,000 homes, and destroyed over 8.4 million hectares of land, which is about the size of the state of Indiana in America. The World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) estimated that 1.25 billion animals were killed directly or indirectly by the fires.
In New South Wales, Australia, the government is using airplanes and helicopters to feed hungry, vulnerable wildlife as horrific bushfires rage across the country. The government dropped over 2,200 kilos of sweet potatoes and carrots to feed brush-tailed rock wallabies that have been stranded by the fires.
Parks service employees dropped food in several national parks, as part of Operation Rock Wallaby. Matt Kean, the Environment Minister of New South Wales, said that wallabies usually survive the fire, but are then left stranded with no vegetation in their habitat because the fire destroyed it.
Operation Rock Wallaby’s mission is mainly targeting rock wallabies, which usually feed off the shrubs, leaves, and grasses, all of which have been incinerated by the fires. Before the fires, the species was already classed as endangered, making Operation Rock Wallaby’s mission all the more critical.
Kean said the food drops would be used state-wide as a temporary strategy to help endangered animals. “The wallabies were already under stress from the ongoing drought, making survival challenging for the wallabies without assistance,” he added.
Jess Abrahams, nature campaigner from the Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF), said: “The food drops were a sensible emergency response” but adds that long-term action was of the utmost importance to tackle climate change.
Furthermore, the government plans to control the predator population in the area until the wallabies’ habitat is restored.
