Over half a billion animals have been killed by the wildfires in Australia. The fires, which started in late December of 2019 due to a record-breaking heatwave, have taken over millions of acres, killed over 20 people, and destroyed so many homes. It is estimated around 500 million of Australian wildlife has been killed due to the fires, and that count has not been slowing down. Due to the high altitudes of wind, the fire and smoke have been spread further than what was imagined.
Australia has been dry and hot for a devastatingly long time.
According to news source Vox, the regions with high density fires have started to create their own weather systems, holding pyrocumulonimbus clouds, lightning, and the generating of strong winds. Coming into play as to how these wildfires have become so severe is climate change and the general geography of the country. The heating of the earth is causing longer heat waves, dryer climates, and making it easier for blazes to begin. Human behavior is to blame for this. Wildfires, however, are not always a bad thing in Australia. Some plants depend on fires to start anew and cleanse their ecosystems. Unfortunately, however, since it was such a normal occurrence, they could not be stopped before it was too late.
Animals are in danger due to these fires, but more so due to invasive species (humans) taking over and destroying their habitats.
Much like the rest of the world, if you look at a geographical map of Australia 100 years ago next to a map of the country today, you would be maybe not so surprised to see that much of the country has been taken over by infrastructure and human habitation. This pushes wildlife to become more confined and less protected. Did you know there are some animals that live solely in Australia? Beautiful animals that we cannot just pull out of thin air once they're gone. Speaking of humans, actually, it isn't just the animals being endangered. The Australian government has been evacuating families to more habitable places. The air isn't safe to breathe. The smoke has taken up so much of the air that you can't see the land or ocean from outer space.
What can be done to help?
It's easy to spread awareness about a disaster as tragic as this. It's easy to press a share button on an article and make people think you care about something that isn't happening to you. But do you really care? Then stop sharing about what is happening and start sharing ways you and others can help. A huge biosystem is in grave danger and it isn't time to play "woke", it's time to realize that there is more at stake here than some fields being burned or some trees being destroyed. The lives of humans and animals are depending on all the help they can get.
Here are places you can donate and help otherwise:
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