Bushfire emergency

Donate to WWF's Australian Wildlife and Nature Recovery Fund

The fires are out, and we are now at a critical moment as we work to restore what Australia has lost.

The unprecedented fire season saw fires burning in every state and territory in the country, but for the first time this fire season, all fires have now been contained.
It has been a long and hard fight for our volunteer rural firefighters, but the work they have done has been exceptional.

With the fires contained, as a nation we’re starting to assess what we have lost and begin the long road to recovery ahead.

At least 32 lives have been lost and over 2,700 homes lost. WWF is greatly saddened by the loss of life and homes, as well as all the injuries, pain and suffering caused by the bushfires.

More than 12 million hectares of Australian land has been burnt. When habitat is lost, our wildlife suffers.

It’s been estimated that around 1.25 billion animals have been killed across Australia to date. This includes thousands of koalas and other iconic species such as kangaroos, wallabies, kookaburras, cockatoos and honeyeaters burnt alive, and many thousands more injured and homeless.

The catastrophic megafires that swept across our country have greatly exacerbated the species extinction crisis we’re already facing. That's why WWF-Australia has called for immediate global support to establish a AUD$30 million Australian Wildlife and Nature Recovery Fund.

Whilst we still may not have the full picture yet, we already know the WWF Australian Wildlife and Nature Recovery Fund will deliver:

• Wildlife response - including partnering with wildlife response organisations, communities and scientists nationally for a swift and effective response and recovery at scale.
• Habitat restoration for people and nature - including restoring forests and damaged wildlife habitat, stopping deforestation, including cultivating habitat connectivity, core habitat and Indigenous and rural fire management.
• Future-proofing Australia - including driving innovative solutions to help mitigate climate change, driving climate preparedness, species adaptation and long-term wildlife and nature conservation efforts towards securing Australia’s natural resources for people and nature.

You can help WWF-Australia deploy emergency funds to care for our injured wildlife and now the fires are clear, help restore the forest homes our koalas, kangaroos and other animals have lost. See how your donation will make a difference.

GIVE ONCE GIVE MONTHLY

Help Save Wildlife

When the fires clear, help us restore homes for koalas and other animals.

Help Wildlife

It’s been estimated that 1.25 billion native animals have perished in the Australian bushfires, including koalas, kangaroos, wallabies, wombats, echidnas and more. As many as 8,400 koalas may have already perished in the fires in NSW alone, and these numbers continue to rise. These fires are a threat to people, as well as our wildlife.

Please check NSW Rural Fire Service, Emergency Western Australia, South Australia Country Fire Service, or Victoria's Country Fire Authority for emergency updates. We hope that everyone stays safe.

If you find injured wildlife in need of help, please contact your local wildlife rescue service. If in NSW call WIRES: 1300 094 737 and in Vic call WILDLIFE VICTORIA: 03 8400 7300.

GIVE ONCE GIVE MONTHLY

Impact of climate change on bushfires

Climate change does not cause bushfires, but it does make them worse.

Australia is a land of bushfires but this season’s bushfire catastrophe is not normal.

Australia has been experiencing more frequent intense heatwaves and prolonged dry periods that have created tinderbox conditions. Global heating is making droughts more severe and fires hotter and more frequent, as we have seen this season.

We must all do our bit to protect our world from climate disaster - failure to act will make extreme weather standard, with deadly consequences for people and nature.

GIVE ONCE GIVE MONTHLY