Aussie scientists are calling on the government to declare koalas an endangered species after bushfires devastated the population and their habitat.

A recent report found their habitats in NSW and Queensland have been destroyed at a faster rate since the iconic Australian animal was declared vulnerable.

WWF Australia scientist Martin Taylor tells Deborah Knight the federal government needs to step up to help protect the beloved koala.

“The Department of Environment in Canberra should be enforcing the law and stopping [habitat destruction] from happening.

“The pain for the koala population, and for koalas, is just doubled, more than doubled, because of the loss of their habitat and now the fires going through the remaining habitat.”

Mr Taylor says it is time to change the status of koalas from vulnerable to endangered if we want to save our wild koalas from disappearing.

“Many scientists now agree that the koala might have been vulnerable to extinction, but it probably should be listed as endangered now, particularly in wake of the bushfires.

“The trends for the last 30 years have been down, down, down, and that can only go to extinction eventually.”

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Image: Getty