Koalas face disease and risk of extinction under pressure from man

Impact of disease have been intensified by human development that invades the territory of animals

                   

Australia - A sweet and sickly smell filled the air as Robyn Sherwood, a koala 12 years old, was taken to a small examination room on the first hospital for marsupial mammals in Australia. The spread and impact of the disease have been intensified by human development that invades the territory of animals, said Cheyne Flanagan, clinical director of the Koala Hospital in Port Macquarie.

By far, the marsupial looked good health. But closer inspection revealed the "wet bottom" - a clear sign of chlamydial infection, which is ravaging the iconic animal native to Australia.

The disease "is driven by the pressure on the animals. When there is a disturbed habitat (...) they are forced to live together anymore, which leads to greater interaction between them," said Flanagan.

With no cure available, Robyn is already undergoing advanced stages of sexually transmitted disease and probably will have a painful death within a few months, according to veterinarians.

This causes the disease to spread quickly, said the doctor, pointing out that other factors, such as increased competition for land and food, may increase the problem.