PHOTOS: In just a few days, a bunch of adorable stuffed koalas have taken over the urban landscape of New York City, climbing lampposts, fences, trees, and subway entrances from Central Park, to the Brooklyn Bridge, to Union Square, Times Square, Herald Square, and more. In a city where pop-up and guerrilla installations have become corporate endeavors, the Koalas of NYC effort is for a great cause: raising money for the Australian wildfires.
As of January 7th, 2020, 25.5 million acres have burned, which is about the size of South Korea, according to Time magazine. It is estimated that over a billion animals have been affected by the fires, and possibly over half of Australia’s koala population may have perished, along with innumerable insect species, birds, and other wildlife.