RSPCA Queensland records show rescues of forest-dependent wildlife* have more than tripled from 2011 to 2016. A joint report released today by RSPCA Queensland and WWF-Australia had identified that tree-clearing is causing an animal welfare crisis in Queensland.
"Over 120 Australian vertebrate species have ended up on the national threatened species list due in large part to bulldozing of their bushland habitats."
* Forest-dependent wildlife include many small bushland birds, owls, night birds, parrots, flying-foxes, wallabies, goannas, dragons, gliders, koalas, emus, cassowaries, curlews, bustards, echidnas, platypuses, and bandicoots. Animals that have adapted reasonably well to the urban environment such as brush-tail possums, crows, magpies and green tree frogs were excluded from these counts. Seabirds or shorebirds that do not live in forests were also excluded.
