Animal death toll climbing from fires
By AAP17:01
Millions of animals are dead and hundreds of thousands more will perish over coming days as a result of killer bushfires terrorising southeast Australia.

Already-endangered species are being put at a greater risk of extinction, and the extent of the carnage may never be known.

"The fires will have killed millions of animals ... mammals, birds, reptiles," Wildlife Victoria boss Megan Davidson said.

And the threat is not over, with wildlife rescue groups likely to be helpless in many instances.

"It is largely a job of euthanasing at this stage, both livestock and wildlife," Dr Davidson said.

"They are so severely burned that there is nothing better you can do than end their suffering."


In coming days more animals will die from starvation and heat stress as they battle to find food and shelter in their decimated habitat.

The nationally-endangered eastern bristlebird is one species of concern amid the fires which are straddling the NSW-Victorian border.

"There are only three populations in Australia and two are under threat," The University of Melbourne's Alan York said.