Why are so many of Australia’s unique animals now under threat of extinction? In this week's Sunday Radio Matinee feature, BBC's Ruth Evans investigates Australia’s extinction crisis, and explores what can and should be done to prevent further casualties and turn things around.
Roughly a third of all global mammal extinctions in the last 500 years are thought to have occurred in Australia. At least 34 species have now gone extinct since European colonization, and over 2,000 species of mammals, birds and invertebrates are now listed as critically endangered or threatened. Without substantial and rapid change, this list is almost certain to grow.
