An Analysis of Demographic and Triage Assessment Findings in Bushfire-Affected Koalas (<i>Phascolarctos cinereus</i>) on Kangaroo Island, South Australia, 2019–2020

In the 2019–2020 Australian bushfires, Kangaroo Island, South Australia, experienced catastrophic bushfires that burnt approximately half the island, with an estimated 80% of the koala population lost. During and after the event, rescued koalas were triaged at a designated facility and a range of in...

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Autores principales: Evie Dunstan, Oliver Funnell, Jenny McLelland, Felicity Stoeckeler, Elisa Nishimoto, Dana Mitchell, Sam Mitchell, David J. McLelland, Jerome Kalvas, Lynley Johnson, Claire Moore, Lauren J. M. Eyre, Amanda McLune, Ian Hough, Ludovica Valenza, Wayne S. J. Boardman, Ian Smith, Natasha Speight
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Publicado: MDPI AG 2021
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spelling oai:doaj.org-article:f71219ebc24446f6ace0711fce4601462021-11-25T16:19:42ZAn Analysis of Demographic and Triage Assessment Findings in Bushfire-Affected Koalas (<i>Phascolarctos cinereus</i>) on Kangaroo Island, South Australia, 2019–202010.3390/ani111132372076-2615https://doaj.org/article/f71219ebc24446f6ace0711fce4601462021-11-01T00:00:00Zhttps://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/11/11/3237https://doaj.org/toc/2076-2615In the 2019–2020 Australian bushfires, Kangaroo Island, South Australia, experienced catastrophic bushfires that burnt approximately half the island, with an estimated 80% of the koala population lost. During and after the event, rescued koalas were triaged at a designated facility and a range of initial data were recorded including rescue location and date, sex, estimation of age, body condition and hydration, and assessment of burn severity (<i>n</i> = 304 records available). Koalas were presented to the triage facility over a span of 10 weeks, with 50.2% during the first 14 days of the bushfire response, the majority of which were rescued from regions of lower fire severity. Burns were observed in 67.4% of koalas, with the majority (60.9%) classified as superficial burns, primarily affecting the limbs and face. Poor body condition was recorded in 74.6% of burnt koalas and dehydration in 77.1%. Negative final outcomes (death or euthanasia, at triage or at a later date) occurred in 45.6% of koalas and were significantly associated with higher mean burn score, maximum burn severity, number of body regions burnt, poor body condition score, and dehydration severity. The findings of this retrospective study may assist clinicians in the field with decision making when triaging koalas in future fire rescue efforts.Evie DunstanOliver FunnellJenny McLellandFelicity StoeckelerElisa NishimotoDana MitchellSam MitchellDavid J. McLellandJerome KalvasLynley JohnsonClaire MooreLauren J. M. EyreAmanda McLuneIan HoughLudovica ValenzaWayne S. J. BoardmanIan SmithNatasha SpeightMDPI AGarticleburnmortalityPhascolarctidaerescuetraumawildfireVeterinary medicineSF600-1100ZoologyQL1-991ENAnimals, Vol 11, Iss 3237, p 3237 (2021)
institution DOAJ
collection DOAJ
language EN
topic burn
mortality
Phascolarctidae
rescue
trauma
wildfire
Veterinary medicine
SF600-1100
Zoology
QL1-991
spellingShingle burn
mortality
Phascolarctidae
rescue
trauma
wildfire
Veterinary medicine
SF600-1100
Zoology
QL1-991
Evie Dunstan
Oliver Funnell
Jenny McLelland
Felicity Stoeckeler
Elisa Nishimoto
Dana Mitchell
Sam Mitchell
David J. McLelland
Jerome Kalvas
Lynley Johnson
Claire Moore
Lauren J. M. Eyre
Amanda McLune
Ian Hough
Ludovica Valenza
Wayne S. J. Boardman
Ian Smith
Natasha Speight
An Analysis of Demographic and Triage Assessment Findings in Bushfire-Affected Koalas (<i>Phascolarctos cinereus</i>) on Kangaroo Island, South Australia, 2019–2020
description In the 2019–2020 Australian bushfires, Kangaroo Island, South Australia, experienced catastrophic bushfires that burnt approximately half the island, with an estimated 80% of the koala population lost. During and after the event, rescued koalas were triaged at a designated facility and a range of initial data were recorded including rescue location and date, sex, estimation of age, body condition and hydration, and assessment of burn severity (<i>n</i> = 304 records available). Koalas were presented to the triage facility over a span of 10 weeks, with 50.2% during the first 14 days of the bushfire response, the majority of which were rescued from regions of lower fire severity. Burns were observed in 67.4% of koalas, with the majority (60.9%) classified as superficial burns, primarily affecting the limbs and face. Poor body condition was recorded in 74.6% of burnt koalas and dehydration in 77.1%. Negative final outcomes (death or euthanasia, at triage or at a later date) occurred in 45.6% of koalas and were significantly associated with higher mean burn score, maximum burn severity, number of body regions burnt, poor body condition score, and dehydration severity. The findings of this retrospective study may assist clinicians in the field with decision making when triaging koalas in future fire rescue efforts.
format article
author Evie Dunstan
Oliver Funnell
Jenny McLelland
Felicity Stoeckeler
Elisa Nishimoto
Dana Mitchell
Sam Mitchell
David J. McLelland
Jerome Kalvas
Lynley Johnson
Claire Moore
Lauren J. M. Eyre
Amanda McLune
Ian Hough
Ludovica Valenza
Wayne S. J. Boardman
Ian Smith
Natasha Speight
author_facet Evie Dunstan
Oliver Funnell
Jenny McLelland
Felicity Stoeckeler
Elisa Nishimoto
Dana Mitchell
Sam Mitchell
David J. McLelland
Jerome Kalvas
Lynley Johnson
Claire Moore
Lauren J. M. Eyre
Amanda McLune
Ian Hough
Ludovica Valenza
Wayne S. J. Boardman
Ian Smith
Natasha Speight
author_sort Evie Dunstan
title An Analysis of Demographic and Triage Assessment Findings in Bushfire-Affected Koalas (<i>Phascolarctos cinereus</i>) on Kangaroo Island, South Australia, 2019–2020
title_short An Analysis of Demographic and Triage Assessment Findings in Bushfire-Affected Koalas (<i>Phascolarctos cinereus</i>) on Kangaroo Island, South Australia, 2019–2020
title_full An Analysis of Demographic and Triage Assessment Findings in Bushfire-Affected Koalas (<i>Phascolarctos cinereus</i>) on Kangaroo Island, South Australia, 2019–2020
title_fullStr An Analysis of Demographic and Triage Assessment Findings in Bushfire-Affected Koalas (<i>Phascolarctos cinereus</i>) on Kangaroo Island, South Australia, 2019–2020
title_full_unstemmed An Analysis of Demographic and Triage Assessment Findings in Bushfire-Affected Koalas (<i>Phascolarctos cinereus</i>) on Kangaroo Island, South Australia, 2019–2020
title_sort analysis of demographic and triage assessment findings in bushfire-affected koalas (<i>phascolarctos cinereus</i>) on kangaroo island, south australia, 2019–2020
publisher MDPI AG
publishDate 2021
url https://doaj.org/article/f71219ebc24446f6ace0711fce460146
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