It has been described as Australia's Galapagos Islands and has long been a refuge for some of the country's most endangered creatures.
![Wildfires threaten unique critters on Australian Galapagos](https://media.zenfs.com/en/ap.org/950321a674af5848aa4ac551eef9c68b)
Experts working on the island say the fires have killed thousands of koalas and kangaroos, and also have raised questions about whether any members of a mouse-like marsupial species that carries its young in a pouch have survived.
Located off the coast of South Australia state, Kangaroo Island is about 50% larger than Rhode Island and home to 4,500 people and what was a thriving ecotourism industry.