-  More Than Paws donated over $60 to the Save the Koala Fund

More Than Paws got behind the save the Koala Crusade, and donated $1.00 for every order placed in September.

Koalas are not only an Australian icon and an important part of our country's culture but a study into koalas and tourism also found they bring over $1.1 billion dollars worth of tourism into Australia each year.

Currently, there are less than 100,000 koalas left in the wild, compared to the millions that were thought to be present at the time of European settlement. Research shows that if the decline continues at this rate, koalas could completely disappear from the wild within 15 years.

According to Lauren Grover from the AKF: "Koalas face a number of threats in the wild; however the biggest threat facing koalas is habitat loss." It is estimated that more that 4,000 koalas are killed each year as a result of habitat loss.

The AKF is currently working on a number of initiatives to protect and increase the number of koalas in the wild. One of its major projects is the development of the National Koala Act. If this legislation is approved by the Federal Government, private land owners will be provided with incentives to support and maintain the trees and the overall biodiversity of their lands thus providing a place for koalas to live.

As a part of Save the Koala Month, the public is encouraged to take part in the activities organised by the AKF. "There are heaps of activities happening during September with koala supporters from all over the country getting involved to help Save the Koala.

For more information about the Save the Koala Month and the conservation of koalas visit www.savethekoala.com