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...
Guardado en:
Autores principales: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
---|---|
Formato: | article |
Lenguaje: | EN |
Publicado: |
MDPI AG
2021
|
Materias: | |
Acceso en línea: | https://doaj.org/article/f71219ebc24446f6ace0711fce460146 |
Etiquetas: |
Agregar Etiqueta
Sin Etiquetas, Sea el primero en etiquetar este registro!
|
id |
oai:doaj.org-article:f71219ebc24446f6ace0711fce460146 |
---|---|
record_format |
dspace |
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 |
work_keys_str_mv |
AT eviedunstan ananalysisofdemographicandtriageassessmentfindingsinbushfireaffectedkoalasiphascolarctoscinereusionkangarooislandsouthaustralia20192020 AT oliverfunnell ananalysisofdemographicandtriageassessmentfindingsinbushfireaffectedkoalasiphascolarctoscinereusionkangarooislandsouthaustralia20192020 AT jennymclelland ananalysisofdemographicandtriageassessmentfindingsinbushfireaffectedkoalasiphascolarctoscinereusionkangarooislandsouthaustralia20192020 AT felicitystoeckeler ananalysisofdemographicandtriageassessmentfindingsinbushfireaffectedkoalasiphascolarctoscinereusionkangarooislandsouthaustralia20192020 AT elisanishimoto ananalysisofdemographicandtriageassessmentfindingsinbushfireaffectedkoalasiphascolarctoscinereusionkangarooislandsouthaustralia20192020 AT danamitchell ananalysisofdemographicandtriageassessmentfindingsinbushfireaffectedkoalasiphascolarctoscinereusionkangarooislandsouthaustralia20192020 AT sammitchell ananalysisofdemographicandtriageassessmentfindingsinbushfireaffectedkoalasiphascolarctoscinereusionkangarooislandsouthaustralia20192020 AT davidjmclelland ananalysisofdemographicandtriageassessmentfindingsinbushfireaffectedkoalasiphascolarctoscinereusionkangarooislandsouthaustralia20192020 AT jeromekalvas ananalysisofdemographicandtriageassessmentfindingsinbushfireaffectedkoalasiphascolarctoscinereusionkangarooislandsouthaustralia20192020 AT lynleyjohnson ananalysisofdemographicandtriageassessmentfindingsinbushfireaffectedkoalasiphascolarctoscinereusionkangarooislandsouthaustralia20192020 AT clairemoore ananalysisofdemographicandtriageassessmentfindingsinbushfireaffectedkoalasiphascolarctoscinereusionkangarooislandsouthaustralia20192020 AT laurenjmeyre ananalysisofdemographicandtriageassessmentfindingsinbushfireaffectedkoalasiphascolarctoscinereusionkangarooislandsouthaustralia20192020 AT amandamclune ananalysisofdemographicandtriageassessmentfindingsinbushfireaffectedkoalasiphascolarctoscinereusionkangarooislandsouthaustralia20192020 AT ianhough ananalysisofdemographicandtriageassessmentfindingsinbushfireaffectedkoalasiphascolarctoscinereusionkangarooislandsouthaustralia20192020 AT ludovicavalenza ananalysisofdemographicandtriageassessmentfindingsinbushfireaffectedkoalasiphascolarctoscinereusionkangarooislandsouthaustralia20192020 AT waynesjboardman ananalysisofdemographicandtriageassessmentfindingsinbushfireaffectedkoalasiphascolarctoscinereusionkangarooislandsouthaustralia20192020 AT iansmith ananalysisofdemographicandtriageassessmentfindingsinbushfireaffectedkoalasiphascolarctoscinereusionkangarooislandsouthaustralia20192020 AT natashaspeight ananalysisofdemographicandtriageassessmentfindingsinbushfireaffectedkoalasiphascolarctoscinereusionkangarooislandsouthaustralia20192020 AT eviedunstan analysisofdemographicandtriageassessmentfindingsinbushfireaffectedkoalasiphascolarctoscinereusionkangarooislandsouthaustralia20192020 AT oliverfunnell analysisofdemographicandtriageassessmentfindingsinbushfireaffectedkoalasiphascolarctoscinereusionkangarooislandsouthaustralia20192020 AT jennymclelland analysisofdemographicandtriageassessmentfindingsinbushfireaffectedkoalasiphascolarctoscinereusionkangarooislandsouthaustralia20192020 AT felicitystoeckeler analysisofdemographicandtriageassessmentfindingsinbushfireaffectedkoalasiphascolarctoscinereusionkangarooislandsouthaustralia20192020 AT elisanishimoto analysisofdemographicandtriageassessmentfindingsinbushfireaffectedkoalasiphascolarctoscinereusionkangarooislandsouthaustralia20192020 AT danamitchell analysisofdemographicandtriageassessmentfindingsinbushfireaffectedkoalasiphascolarctoscinereusionkangarooislandsouthaustralia20192020 AT sammitchell analysisofdemographicandtriageassessmentfindingsinbushfireaffectedkoalasiphascolarctoscinereusionkangarooislandsouthaustralia20192020 AT davidjmclelland analysisofdemographicandtriageassessmentfindingsinbushfireaffectedkoalasiphascolarctoscinereusionkangarooislandsouthaustralia20192020 AT jeromekalvas analysisofdemographicandtriageassessmentfindingsinbushfireaffectedkoalasiphascolarctoscinereusionkangarooislandsouthaustralia20192020 AT lynleyjohnson analysisofdemographicandtriageassessmentfindingsinbushfireaffectedkoalasiphascolarctoscinereusionkangarooislandsouthaustralia20192020 AT clairemoore analysisofdemographicandtriageassessmentfindingsinbushfireaffectedkoalasiphascolarctoscinereusionkangarooislandsouthaustralia20192020 AT laurenjmeyre analysisofdemographicandtriageassessmentfindingsinbushfireaffectedkoalasiphascolarctoscinereusionkangarooislandsouthaustralia20192020 AT amandamclune analysisofdemographicandtriageassessmentfindingsinbushfireaffectedkoalasiphascolarctoscinereusionkangarooislandsouthaustralia20192020 AT ianhough analysisofdemographicandtriageassessmentfindingsinbushfireaffectedkoalasiphascolarctoscinereusionkangarooislandsouthaustralia20192020 AT ludovicavalenza analysisofdemographicandtriageassessmentfindingsinbushfireaffectedkoalasiphascolarctoscinereusionkangarooislandsouthaustralia20192020 AT waynesjboardman analysisofdemographicandtriageassessmentfindingsinbushfireaffectedkoalasiphascolarctoscinereusionkangarooislandsouthaustralia20192020 AT iansmith analysisofdemographicandtriageassessmentfindingsinbushfireaffectedkoalasiphascolarctoscinereusionkangarooislandsouthaustralia20192020 AT natashaspeight analysisofdemographicandtriageassessmentfindingsinbushfireaffectedkoalasiphascolarctoscinereusionkangarooislandsouthaustralia20192020 |
_version_ |
1718413294269628416 |