More than a billion animals have died as a result of the ongoing wildfires in Australia, the University of Sydney press service said, citing the study.
Professor Chris Dieckman has found that more than 800 million animals have been victims of fires in New South Wales, and the total death toll in the country has exceeded the billion mark.
Dieckman's figures are based on a 2007 World Wildlife Fund (WWF) report on the impact of land clearing on Australian wildlife. Using these numbers, the study authors established the average population density of mammals, birds and reptiles in New South Wales, and then multiplied the density estimates by the area of vegetation.
The researchers who conducted the study used conservative estimates, so the death toll may be significantly higher, according to the statement.
In Australia, as a result of natural fires, millions of hectares of land have already burned out, the fire in recent months has killed 17 people, destroyed a thousand homes. In some places the fires are so strong and the smoke is so thick that it has become impossible to extinguish them from the air. Authorities are dispatching naval ships and aircraft to the affected area. A massive fire evacuation is underway on the southeast coast of Australia.