Koalas spotted on Australia’s Central Coast, first time in decades

SYDNEY: For the first time in decades, koalas have been spotted in the wild on Australia's Central Coast, 80km north of Sydney, China's Xinhua news agency reported.

The cute and cuddly duo were recorded by night vision cameras set up to monitor wildlife at the Dharug National Park.

National Parks and Wildlife Service Ranger Sarah Brookes told Xinhua yesterday that she has worked in the park for more than 20 years and never saw a koala.

Over that time, the dwindling numbers in the area have mostly been caused by habitat disruption from continued urbanisation.

But rangers hope the sighting could be a sign that the koala population might be on the rise again.

“A neighbouring landowner has also shared an audio recording with us,” Brookes said, which they were able to identify as the call of a female koala.

This could indicate the pair are on the move as a result of the koala's mating season, which begins in August and lasts until February.

“It's a time of increased movement for koalas as they leave their trees and disperse, running the risk of crossing paths with cars and dogs,” Brookes said.

Due to the decline of the koala population on New South Wales' east coast, the state government has made A$ 800,000 ( US$ 618,000) available for koala conservation projects and are urging anyone who has seen a koala in the Dharug National Park to record the sighting for research. — Bernama