[00:00.00]The number of koalas in Australia is unclear but conservationists estimate there are about 100,000 in the wild. They believe that the population is continuing to fall because of various threats, including a disease that causes blindness and infertility. The building of homes and roads is also eating away at their habitats. The Australian government is being urged to declare the koala a threatened or endangered animal. This would give federal authorities the power to protect these furry marsupials from development. The Environment Minister Tony Burke has asked a panel of experts for more information detailing areas where koala are in trouble. He is expected to make a final decision in the next couple of months.