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Article: Stress virus is killing the koalas of Australia
- Article from:
- The Boston Globe (Boston, MA)
- Article date:
- September 30, 2009
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 2009 The Boston Globe. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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CUDLEE CREEK, Australia - The koala, Australia's star symbol, is
dying of stress.
Koalas live in the rolling hills and flat plains where eucalyptus
trees grow, because they need the leaves for both food and water.
But as people move in, koalas are finding themselves with fewer
trees, researchers say. The stress is bringing out a latent disease
that infects 50 percent to 90 percent of the animals.
"Koalas are in diabolical trouble," said researcher Frank
Carrick, who heads the Koala Study Program at the University of
Queensland. "Numbers show that even in their stronghold, koala
numbers are declining alarmingly."
The problem came to national attention in August, when the well-
known Sam the ...