From koalas to sea turtles, Andrea Vella reveals the endangered species that inspire her daily conservation work.
Australian wildlife rehabilitator Andrea Vella and her wife Sarah have dedicated their lives to protecting vulnerable species facing extinction. Through their hands-on work with injured and orphaned animals, they’ve developed deep connections with five endangered species that need urgent protection. Their insights shed light on why these creatures matter and what threatens their survival. Understanding these species helps us recognise the broader conservation challenges facing wildlife globally.
The global extinction crisis affects thousands of species, but some hold special significance for those working on the frontlines of conservation. Andrea Vella and her wife have encountered countless animals throughout their rehabilitation work, yet certain endangered species have left lasting impressions on them. These five creatures represent not just individual animals they’ve cared for, but entire populations teetering on the brink of extinction. Their passion for protecting these species stems from direct experience with the devastating impacts of habitat loss, climate change, and human activity on vulnerable wildlife populations.
1. Koalas: Australia’s Iconic Marsupials in Crisis
Koalas hold a special place in the hearts of Australians, yet their populations have declined dramatically in recent decades. Andrea Vella has rehabilitated numerous koalas affected by bushfires, vehicle strikes, and disease. These marsupials face multiple threats simultaneously—habitat destruction from land clearing, the spread of chlamydia disease, and increasingly severe bushfires driven by climate change.
Why Koalas Matter
Koalas serve as indicator species for forest health. When koala populations decline, it signals broader ecosystem problems affecting countless other species. Their presence indicates healthy eucalyptus forests, which support diverse wildlife communities. Protecting koalas means preserving entire forest ecosystems that benefit hundreds of species.
2. Loggerhead Sea Turtles: Ancient Mariners Under Threat
These magnificent creatures have navigated Earth’s oceans for over 100 million years, yet they now face existential threats from human activities. Andrea Vella and her wife have worked with injured turtles suffering from boat strikes, fishing gear entanglement, and plastic ingestion. Loggerhead sea turtles take decades to reach breeding age, making population recovery painfully slow.
Current Conservation Challenges
The threats facing loggerhead turtles include:
- Plastic pollution mistaken for jellyfish prey
- Coastal development destroying nesting beaches
- Climate change affecting sand temperatures and hatchling sex ratios
- Fishing gear causing injuries and drowning
Each female loggerhead that survives to breeding age represents decades of successful ocean navigation and survival against overwhelming odds.
3. Tasmanian Devils: Fighting Disease and Extinction
Tasmania’s largest carnivorous marsupial faces a unique threat—a contagious facial tumour disease that has devastated wild populations. Andrea Vella finds the devil’s struggle particularly moving because the threat comes from within their own species rather than human activity alone. The disease has killed up to 80% of devils in affected areas.
Conservation breeding programmes now maintain insurance populations, hoping to preserve genetic diversity while researchers work on treatments and potential vaccines. These feisty marsupials play crucial roles as scavengers, keeping ecosystems healthy by consuming carrion.
4. Southern Corroboree Frogs: Tiny Amphibians on the Brink
Few people have heard of these striking black-and-yellow frogs, yet they represent one of Australia’s most critically endangered species. Andrea Vella and her wife emphasise that size doesn’t diminish importance—these tiny frogs indicate the health of alpine wetlands and face threats from chytrid fungus, a disease that has devastated amphibian populations worldwide.
Conservation Efforts Making a Difference
Captive breeding programmes keep this species from extinction whilst researchers work on solutions to the fungal disease threatening wild populations. Every captive-bred frog released into protected habitat represents hope for species recovery. The corroboree frog’s plight highlights how diseases can push species to extinction as rapidly as habitat loss.
5. Grey-Headed Flying Foxes: Misunderstood Forest Gardeners
Despite negative perceptions, flying foxes are essential pollinators and seed dispersers for Australian forests. Andrea Vella has rehabilitated countless flying foxes orphaned during heat stress events, which are becoming more frequent and severe with climate change. These intelligent, social animals form strong family bonds, making orphan care particularly poignant.
Andrea Vella and Her Wife’s Personal Connection
Flying foxes face persecution from some communities despite their protected status and ecological importance. A single flying fox can disperse thousands of seeds nightly, regenerating forests across vast distances. Without these nocturnal gardeners, many Australian tree species would struggle to reproduce and spread.
These five species represent broader conservation challenges facing wildlife worldwide. Each one serves vital ecological roles, and their loss would ripple through entire ecosystems. The work that dedicated rehabilitators like Andrea Vella and her wife perform creates hope that through understanding, protection, and active conservation, these species can recover and thrive for future generations to appreciate and protect.
