Science & Tech · Science & Environment · 2 hrs ago
Drought and fires threaten Australia’s most vulnerable kangaroos
World Kangaroo Day highlights Australia’s kangaroos and their place in First Nations cultures and the environment.
Kangaroos belong to a wider animal group called macropods, which also includes wallabies, quokkas, bettongs and potoroos.
While Australia’s large kangaroo species remain numerous, 11 of the more than 50 remaining macropod species are endangered or critically endangered.
Climate change is contributing to hotter conditions, droughts and bushfires that damage habitat and threaten the animals.
During a decade-long drought beginning in 2000, kangaroo numbers in eastern Australia fell by an estimated 30 million, while the 2019-2020 Black Summer fires displaced, injured or killed an estimated 5 million kangaroos and wallabies.
A forecast super El Niño could bring more drought, extreme heat and severe fires in 2026-2027.
Balancing urban development with conservation will be important to protect vulnerable species, though researchers say how well kangaroo populations recover is not yet well understood.
Droughts and bushfires linked to climate change are putting pressure on Australia’s kangaroos and other macropods.
Smaller and critically endangered species, including Gilbert’s potoroo and the mala, face a particularly serious risk of extinction.
A decade-long drought that began in 2000 was estimated to have reduced eastern Australia’s kangaroo population by around 30 million.
The 2019-2020 Black Summer bushfires displaced, injured or killed an estimated 5 million kangaroos and wallabies.
Concerns are growing that a super El Niño in 2026-2027 could bring more drought, extreme heat and severe bushfires.
- Who
- Australia’s kangaroos and other macropods, including endangered species such as Gilbert’s potoroo and the mala.
- What
- Droughts and bushfires are damaging habitats and threatening vulnerable species.
- When
- Climate pressures have affected macropods in recent decades; a super El Niño is expected in 2026-2027.
- Where
- Australia.
- Why
- Climate change is contributing to worsening droughts and bushfires, while habitat loss adds pressure.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
A decade-long drought began, and kangaroo populations in eastern Australia were estimated to fall by around 30 million.
Eastern Australia’s kangaroo numbers had bounced back to around 47 million.
The Black Summer bushfires displaced, injured or killed an estimated 5 million kangaroos and wallabies.
A super El Niño is expected to bring increased droughts, extreme heatwaves and severe bushfires.
- Macropod species
- 59 species in Australia
- Estimated kangaroo population
- 30 million to 50 million, depending on drought and rainfall cycles
- Eastern Australia drought decline
- Around 30 million kangaroos
- Black Summer impact
- An estimated 5 million kangaroos and wallabies displaced, injured or killed
- At-risk macropods
- 11 of the more than 50 remaining species are listed as Endangered or Critically Endangered by the IUCN
What people are saying
We do not really know how well populations [of kangaroos] recover, as our understanding of population trajectories is typically very coarse, at large landscape levels.