Kangaroo Island Begins Recovery Process Following Devastating Bushfire Season

PARNDANA, AUSTRALIA - FEBRUARY 23: Dana Mitchell, owner of the Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park feeds a koala joey affected by the recent bushfires inside the joey hospital on February 23, 2020 in Parndana, Australia. The Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park has treated 600 animals since the fires, 95% being koalas. Over a third of Kangaroo Island, including much of the Flinders Chase National Park, was burnt during the recent bushfires that started on 4 January. Two people lost their lives, while tens of thousands of native animals and farming livestock were also killed. The Wildlife, Ecosystems and Habitat Bushfire Recovery Taskforce estimates as many as 90 percent of Kangaroo Island's famous koala population perished in the recent bushfires, with only 5,000 to 10,000 koalas remaining in the area from an original population of about 60,000. Kangaroo Island's economy is reliant on agriculture and tourism – worth an estimated 180 million dollars – and focus is now turning to reviving the industries post the bushfires. The South Australian Tourism Commission launched the #BookThemOut campaign to encourage tourists to visit the bushfire affected areas in the Adelaide Hills and Kangaroo Island, with the recent Kangaroo Cup Racing Carnival reaching record attendance this past weekend. However, with the Island known to be a popular tourism destination for Chinese tourists the local industry is now also being heavily affected by coronavirus. The Federal Government has announced a royal commission into this summer's devastating bushfires across Australia, with a specific focus on preparedness for future bushfire seasons. Former Australian Defence Force (ADF) chief Mark Binskin, former Federal Court judge Annabelle Bennett and leading environmental lawyer Andrew Macintosh are due to deliver their findings by the end of August. (Photo by Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images)