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Information
Koalas
aren't bears. The koala is a mammal related to the kangaroo
and wombat. The reason the koala is called a koala bear
is because the koala looks like a teddy bear. The koala's
scientific name is Phasclarctos cinereus. Now there
are only 2,000 to 8,000 koalas in the wild! Although
not officially classified as endangered, the population
of Australian koalas has dropped by 90% in less than
a decade!
Logging, agriculture and urban development have not
only reduced the area available to Koalas, but added
other dangers. The koala's habitat has been criss-crossed
by roads, resulting in many road kills and attacks by
neighboring pet dogs are frequent. Disease, too, has
taken its toll on the koala.
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