Victoria's environment department has deployed specialist wildlife teams across multiple firegrounds to assess the impact on affected animals, but a full picture of the devastation has yet to emerge. As tinderbox conditions continue to hamper assessment and rescue efforts, bushfires that ignited in January have torn through more than 435,000 hectares of land, burning habitat crucial to bird and animal species, including eastern bristlebirds and dingoes, with some plant species feared extinct.
Endangered Eastern Bristlebirds at Critical Risk
Professor Don Driscoll, a terrestrial ecologist at Deakin University, expressed particular concern for the state's population of endangered eastern bristlebirds. These shy songbirds with cinnamon-brown feathers have seen about 60% of their habitat at Howe Flat near Mallacoota burned by fires. With the state's population numbering fewer than 200 birds, any survivors are now exposed and vulnerable.
"That's a particular concern because these ground-inhabiting birds are hanging around in dense vegetation, and they rely on that for protection from predators," Driscoll said. He noted that six years ago, authorities mounted a rescue mission to capture 14 birds, fearing extinction from the black summer fires, but no emergency mission has been launched this time around.
Department Response and Recovery Efforts
The state's environment department stated that active fires have prevented it from sending in specialist staff to assess the situation. Once the area is declared safe, the department will establish accurate figures of affected birds and work to reduce threats, such as controlling foxes and cats.
James Todd, the department's chief biodiversity officer, said, "While this is a concerning situation for the eastern bristlebird population, we've had promising recovery results in the recent past, including establishment of a recently translocated population at Wilsons Promontory to help manage extinction risks from these types of bushfire events."
Catastrophic Impact on Wildlife and Habitat
Wildlife Victoria reported a likely substantive loss of animals given the ferocity and scale of the fires. Chief executive Lisa Palma emphasised, "The impact of bushfires on wildlife can be catastrophic. Native animals are often unable to escape fires and are highly vulnerable to death, dehydration, disorientation, burns, injury, and the loss of food and habitat."
The charity has received a record number of calls, with more than 1,100 in a single day at the peak, mainly regarding kangaroos, koalas, and wallabies. Assistance is being provided where possible, but many firegrounds remain unsafe for rescuers and volunteers to enter.
Mammals and Other Species Under Threat
Professor Driscoll, lead author of a Nature paper on the biodiversity impacts of the 2019-20 fires, highlighted that all animals are impacted, with mammals particularly vulnerable. "They can't fly away like many birds can. They're too big to hide in small crevices like some of the frogs, reptiles and insects could," he said. Animals that shelter in tree hollows, such as greater gliders and yellow-bellied gliders, are especially at risk.
Professor Euan Ritchie, an ecologist at Deakin University, added that animals surviving the heat and flames could still suffer or perish in the aftermath due to greater exposure to predators, reduced food, and loss of hollow-bearing trees. He noted that Victoria, as the most-cleared state in the country, faces compounded effects from these threats.
Fires in National Parks and Plant Extinctions
Fires in the north-west of the state have burned through 60,000 hectares of Wyperfeld National Park, an important habitat for wilkerr (dingo) and critical nesting trees for endangered flame-crested cockatoos. Researchers are waiting until firegrounds are safe to collect monitoring equipment, but at least one dingo is thought to have died from an adult population smaller than 80.
Parks Victoria has worked with the Barengi Gadjin Land Council to install temporary water points in Wyperfeld National Park to help wildlife in areas where water is scarce, discouraging animals from moving onto private property.
Threatened Plants on the Brink
Professor David Cantrill, chief botanist at Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, holds grave concerns for the endangered southern shepherd's purse after fires near Harcourt burned Mount Alexander, home to the last remaining wild plants. Another major fire near Mount Lawson encompassed a fenced flora reserve containing the only known population of critically endangered summer leek orchids, along with several state-listed species.
Botanists hope some orchid tubers may have survived in the ground, "providing it's not too hot and hasn't burnt too deeply into the soil," Cantrill said. Assessments will be made in autumn when anticipated rainfall may lead to germination, allowing botanists to secure seeds and plant cuttings for propagation.
Calls for Action and Future Strategies
Professor Driscoll warned that fires are becoming more severe, extensive, and frequent due to human-caused climate change. He called for faster action on climate change and for states like Victoria to develop capabilities for "rapid attack" to control fires before they escalate. He suggested flagging areas such as rainforests for special protection, similar to how Wollemi pines were saved in New South Wales during black summer.
Dr Tom Fairman, research fellow at the University of Melbourne's FLARE Wildlife Research, emphasised the need for an overarching strategy to protect priority ecosystems as bushfires become more frequent and severe. "We shouldn't be surprised when a fire happens and some of these ecosystems start collapsing," he said, highlighting the ongoing loss of natural landscape elements.
