Australian Koala Foundation
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Austalian Koala Foundation (AKF) is an international scientific organisation that aims to diminish the threats to the survival of koalas and in doing so raise the awareness of the global community to help save endangered fauna and flora. It is in the process of writing The National Koala Act and having it enacted by the Australian Federal Government.
[edit] History
Two veterinary scientists, Barry Scott and Steve Brown, registered Australian Koala Association Inc in 1986, and subsequently changed the name to Austalian Koala Foundation Inc. The term "Inc" was later dropped.
In 1980s, it was believed that the major threat to koalas was a disease known as chlamydia. The initial goal of the AKF was to find a cure for chlamydia. Project "save the koala" with an aim to raise A$ 5 million was launched to provide research funding into finding a cure for chlamydia.
It was found out later that habitat destruction was the main cause of the koalas' problems. Consequently, the focus of AKF was adjusted accordingly.
