How koala bears went from ‘functionally extinct’ to the poster child for climate alarmism in about 24 hours

But that quickly changed. November 24 at 11:52 am: It’s complicated:

Update on the koalas: Scientists say there's no way to know how bad the situation is.

"It's incredibly difficult for scientists to get a full grasp on koala numbers across Australia, so categorizing the species as 'functionally extinct' is difficult." https://t.co/k7V4h7lnu9

— Eric Holthaus (@EricHolthaus) November 24, 2019

And on November 26 at 11:57 am: Never mind. Koalas are fine:

Major update: The article that claimed koalas are now 'functionally extinct' has been revised, with more nuance added reflecting pushback from scientists. https://t.co/eQ2AylcXUV

— Eric Holthaus (@EricHolthaus) November 26, 2019

But don’t believe us. Here’s National Geographic with the explainer:

Yes, koalas are being hurt in fires in Australia; it’s a sad story that has people upset. But no, koalas aren't 'functionally extinct’ — and alarmist and inaccurate headlines aren’t doing anything to help them. Our @NatGeo explainer of what’s going on https://t.co/fNybHMrbYQ

— Susan Goldberg (@susanbgoldberg) November 26, 2019

The claim that they’ve lost 80% of their habitat was a lie, too:

No, koalas are not "functionally extinct." Nor have they lost "80 percent" of their habitat. They are in trouble though. @natashaldaly explains https://t.co/reZr7OdRYf pic.twitter.com/3Kf7mCfr6n

— Rachael Bale (@Rachael_Bale) November 26, 2019

They are not even on the endangered list at this time:

Some objective information about the plight of Koalas.
Not "functionally extinct" yet. But close to now being declared 'endangered' as a species. Via @NatGeo: https://t.co/y7a4rEoIJL

— Michael E. Mann (@MichaelEMann) November 26, 2019

This keeps happening. Remember the starving polar bear?

Fact Check: If you've seen the viral starving polar bear photo, read this thread on why linking it to global warming is BS https://t.co/HgDaILXB5a

— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) December 11, 2017

And now here’s the cleanup of the damage from the alarmist BS:

No, koalas aren't 'functionally extinct'—yet. Most of what you've read is probably wrong, but the species still faces very real threats that started before the fires and will continue afterwards https://t.co/z1Rr3DrdOz via @NatGeo pic.twitter.com/jhNII8VtI2

— Kaleigh Rogers (@KaleighRogers) November 26, 2019

Wash. Rinse. Repeat.

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