‘Care factor’: ecologist reveals why koalas are coming to the city
Australians are finding koalas on powerlines and in their own backyards as multiple factors push the endangered native icon out of its natural habitat and into this one regional city in particular
READING LEVEL: GREEN
Koala sightings* and rescues along parts of Australia’s north eastern coast have spiked recently, surprising residents who didn’t realise the marsupials* could be found around our cities.
Kids News decided to investigate whether Aussies were becoming more koala-aware and reporting more sightings, or whether there had been an increase in the number of koalas looking for city homes and human friends.
It turned out there were several reasons why they may have wandered far from their homes and those all-important eucalyptus treetops.
Koala ecologist* and Central Queensland University lecturer Dr Rolf Schlagloth said that increased sighting didn’t necessarily mean the local koala population had increased. Instead, it could be the case that the eyewitness human population was growing, along with their care and concern for the beloved but endangered* native animal.
“I call it the care factor. If you have more humans and more humans that care about koalas and the environment, you may get an increased number of sightings,” Dr Schlagloth said.
“Doesn’t mean that there are more koalas, but it could mean that people just pay more attention or care more to report.”
Magnetic Island Koala Hospital founder and conservationist* Dr Ali Bee said that usually “three to four” koalas were rescued in Townsville each year. But “this year has been quite different,” she said.
The Koala Hospital and Northern Queensland Wildlife Carers have been called out to koalas unfortunately injured or killed in Queensland dog attacks in Bushland Beach, Alligator Creek and Elliot Springs so far this year. Some koalas have also been hit by cars around Elliot Springs.
Most recently, a NQWC volunteer helped rescue a koala off a power pole in Kelso.
“They are getting into people’s yards and people just don’t expect them,” Dr Bee said.
“A lot of them are young males dispersing* out and getting lost, but the big developments happening (in Mount Louisa and Elliot Springs) is limiting where we can release them back to.”
MATING SEASON WALKABOUTS
Another reason why people may find koalas (specifically male koalas) in their backyard or on the road is that the boys have been out looking for girlfriends.
Starting from September through to February, male koalas as young as two go “a little bit further away from their home range” in search of new territories* and new mates, Dr Rolf said.
They make loud bellowing* sounds that might sound intimidating to the human ear, but these mating signals attract the attention of lady koalas.
“They will call out and they will say, ‘This is my territory, where are the female koalas?’,” Dr Schlagloth said.
“It’s basically them establishing or defending their territory and calling for a female partner, telling everybody else to go away.”
If their home ranges have become smaller due to nearby development or trees being knocked down, koalas may go even further away in search of a new habitat and could eventually end up in the city.
DEVELOPMENTS LIMITING KOALA HABITAT
Dr Schlagloth said another factor driving koalas closer to the city could be greater development* along the eastern seaboard, particularly in Queensland.
Increased human activity including construction impacts koala habitat with new roads, traffic and more people, which means, inevitably, more human contact with koalas. Unfortunately, that same combination also means more accidents.
Since last year, investment* in the region between Townsville City through to Mount Isa via the North West corridor increased by 33 per cent, according to Townsville Enterprises’s new data.
Increased investment means more construction and growth in areas like mining*, manufacturing*, health, housing and tourism.
Koalas are currently listed as an endangered species in Queensland, New South Wales and the ACT. Deforestation, disease, climate change and bushfires remain the top threats to their existence.
Fortunately, the vast majority of Australians care deeply about the country’s iconic animal and try to rescue them whenever and wherever they can.
KOALA MUM AND BIG BUB SAVED BY FIREYS
A heat-stressed koala mother weighed down with an uncooperative* baby was one recent success story for the Magnetic Island Koala Hospital rescuers.
The recent spike of koala fatalities* and rescue call-outs in Townsville have prompted wildlife carers to urge outer suburb residents to be more koala-aware.
Dr Bee said a co-ordinated effort by volunteers located the weakening mother near the Forts walking track on Magnetic Island – affectionately known as “Maggie” among locals.
“A Horseshoe Bay Rural Fire Brigade (RFB) volunteer was walking up there four days prior and spotted the mum low on a tree. She wasn’t moving away from people, so it was reported to me,” Dr Bee said.
“It took a few days for us to get up there, and by then no one could find her.”
Luckily the mother was spotted again by a trio of Queensland Koala Crusaders volunteers who happened to be visiting.
“They discovered a very large joey in her pouch, (which) was absolutely stretched,” Dr Bee said.
The combination of the joey potentially outstaying its welcome, intense heat and no water on the hillside were thought to have dehydrated the mother.
“A few days of water, cool shade and good food helped her,” Dr Bee said. “She also managed to kick the joey out of the pouch.”
The koala expert said leaving the pouch could be confronting for some joeys, but she’d never seen one refuse to leave like this boy koala had.
“At this time of year, when it’s hot and dry, we see a lot of mothers with big joeys starting to struggle,” Dr Bee said.
POLL
GLOSSARY
- sighting: seeing or observing something or someone when you don’t expect to like spotting koalas in the city
- marsupials: a type of mammal that gives birth to undeveloped or premature tiny babies who stay with their mums like kangaroos and koalas
- ecologist: someone who studies the relationship between living things like animals and plants and their environment
- endangered: a plant or animal that is at risk of extinction/disappearing from earth forever
- conservationist: someone who works and advocates for protection of wildlife or plants
- dispersing: to spread, move in different directions
- territories: an area of land, water or space controlled by a person or a group, in this case koalas
- bellowing: making a loud deep powerful sound
- development: the process of changing land through construction or demolition of buildings
- investment: committing money, time and other resources into a project in expectation of profiting from it in the future
- mining: the process of taking materials or minerals from the earth’s crust
- manufacturing: turning raw materials into finished products using machines and tools
- uncooperative: not willing or ready to work, or listen to requests
- fatalities: deaths caused by accident, violence, or disaster
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QUICK QUIZ
- When is the mating season for koalas?
- How many days did the rescued mum and bub spend in care?
- How is development pushing koalas into the city?
- Who rescued the mum and bub koalas in Townsville?
- What is the ‘care factor’?
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Possible headline for the article:
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