Counterpunch reports that koalas are suffering due to climate change, which has caused changes in their primary source of food, eucalyptus leaves.

From the Counterpunch article:

Now a new threat has been identified leaving them on the brink.  The koalas source of all nourishment, the eucalyptus tree, has been affected by increasing CO2 levels.  The koalas rely on the mildly toxic leaves for food and water and up to now have been able to tolerate the toxicity — they sleep up to 20 hours to work it out.  But the rise in CO2 has decreased nutrition content leaving them more poisonous.  Feeding on these, the koalas are ingesting ever more poison.  Worse, the Australian drought, blamed on global warming for its intensity, has left the leaves with reduced moisture content.  The stresses have left the koalas dying from kidney failure.

 

How long before they are added to the ever-increasing endangered list?  Unless the world really sits up and takes notice, we will be soon adding our pollinator bee friends and, eventually, ourselves to that list.  It is what we have in common.

The Dodo provided this video report on the plight of koalas, who are being spotted more frequently in public places trying to find fresh water.