The raging Australian bush fires may have already forced 13 species into extinction.

Conservationists fear it is already too late for some creatures, especially ones which can not fly, to escape the hellish infernos.

The southern corroboree frog in the alps, the regent honeyeater in the Blue Mountains, and the western ground parrot on Cape Arid in Western Australia are all either on the brink or feared now extinct.

Others under extreme pressure include the eastern ground parrot, which is believed to have lost all its Victoria habitat, and the Kangaroo Island dunnart.

Prof Sarah Legge, of the Australian National University, warned the future for the Kangaroo Island dunnart was “not good”.

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She added “many dozens” of threatened species had been almost devastated by the fires and in some cases “almost their entire distribution has been burnt”.

University of Sydney ecologist Chris Dickman estimates more than a billion animals have been killed in the deadly bush fires which have destroyed almost 11 hectares across the country.

Professor John Woinarski, of Charles Darwin University, said: “It’s reasonable to infer that there will be dramatic consequences to very many species.

“The fires are of such scale and extent that high proportions of many species, including threatened species, will have been killed off immediately.

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“We know that the species that can’t fly away – like koalas – are gone in burnt areas.

“Wombats may survive as they’re underground but, even if they do escape the immediate fire front, there’s essentially no food for them in a burnt landscape.”

Conservationists are demanding the Australian government send scientists to under-threat areas immediately to try and dodge extinction.

They wrote a letter to the federal environment minister, Susan Ley, asking her to boost wildlife protection.

Meanwhile space agency NASA predicted billowing smoke from the blazes will make it all the way around the world.

The blackened clouds could move over Australian skies again in the coming days after lapping the globe.

• Nasa
• Space
• Animals
• Fire

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