Nearly three billion animals were killed or displaced by Australia's devastating bushfires -- almost triple the figure estimated in January -- according to a report released Tuesday.
The figure includes an estimated 143 million mammals, 2.46 billion reptiles, 180 million birds, and 51 million frogs, aThe number of reptiles is significantly higher than the others because there are generally more of them per hectare than mammals or birds.
Researchers are still working to finalize the report, titled "Australia's 2019-2020 Bushfires: The Wildlife Toll," but the three billion figure is not likely to change, according to a WWF statement. Project leader Lily Van Eeden, also from the University of Sydney, said the new report looks into the effects of the fires over 11.46 million hectares .
This will "give other countries a window into the future of mega fires and their devastating impact on wildlife," said O'Gorman, which is important as extreme fires become more common due to climate change.
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