Conservation insight
PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT IN THE CONSERVATION OF THE ICONIC KOALA COULD HELP PROTECT IT, SAYS SHANNON KJELDSEN.
Moves to protect the koala
In recent history, the koala has been mainly confined to the east coast region of mainland Australia, with a few scattered populations in the centre, but there’s really not much habitat there. Its range has shrunk a little bit since European settlement, largely because of habitat loss and fragmentation caused by urbanisation and clearing trees for farmland. As this happens and populations become smaller and more fragmented, they are more likely to be hit by disease.
We are seeing that happen in the populations in Queensland and New South Wales. There are two main ones: a leukaemia-like virus which seems to lower their immunity, and chlamydia, which can cause infertility.
Koalas mainly eat eucalyptus leaves, but not from all species. They will generally have between one and five favourite eucalyptus trees they feed from, and another five to 10 secondary ones. The species differ depending on which part of Australia they are in.
Climate change is set to have an impact. Because it’s hotter in the more northern part of their range, as temperatures increase you won’t find them as far north or west as you do now, while their southern ranges will stay about the same.
The Australian Koala Foundation (AKF) is trying to pass an act through the national parliament to protect its habitat, because, at the moment, this is largely protected at a state level.
The Government does fund a lot of research into genetics, ecology and behaviour. AKF had to remove free access to their KoalaMap due to unauthorised use but members of the public can still record their sightings. This helps scientists to get a clearer picture of whether numbers are declining or increasing in certain areas. Shannon Kjeldsen is an evolutionary biologist at James Cook University, Australia.
KOALAS WILL GENERALLY HAVE BETWEEN ONE AND FIVE FAVOURITE TREES THEY FEED FROM.”