More than a billion animals died as a result of ongoing forest fires in Australia, the press service of the University of Sydney reported referring to a study.

Professor Chris R. Dickman found that over 800 million animals were victims of fires in the state of New South Wales, and the total number of animals killed in the country exceeded the billion.

The figures provided by Dickman are based on a 2007 World Wildlife Fund (WWF) report on the impact of land clearing on Australia’s wildlife. Using these numbers, the study authors determined the average population density of mammals, birds, and reptiles in New South Wales, and then multiplied the density estimates by the area of vegetation.

The scientists who conducted the study used conservative estimates, so the number of dead animals may be significantly higher, the statement said.

Millions of hectares of land have already burned out in Australia, over the past months, 17 people have been killed and thousands of houses destroyed. In some places, the fires are so intense and the smoke so dense that it has become impossible to extinguish them from the air. Authorities are sending naval ships and aircraft to the affected area. On the southeast coast of Australia, large-scale evacuation due to fires is underway.