We are so pleased to announce the results of last week’s koala survey. Our little citizen scientist project found 27 confirmed koalas, adding to the 3 found in July. The numbers included juveniles and a mum with a joey proving that the population is reproducing. Most the koalas were in the adjacent State Forest and amazingly we found these individuals by surveying only 4% of the total State Forest area. This work proves the existence of a significant and previously underestimated koala population in our area. Population modelling is underway, and we are confident that the Bunyah area will now contribute materially to the remaining koala population in NSW. Our “forgotten ARK” has definitely been rediscovered.

A couple of fun facts about the survey:

1. 30 individual koalas have now been found by the thermal drone. Because of the areas surveyed and the timing between flights we are confident that the vast majority of these individuals are only counted once (>27 individuals).
2. Every survey found between 5 and 8 koalas each night showing that koalas are present everywhere we looked. We planned our flights around ease of access rather than targeting specific areas, so this is really encouraging.
3. Our amazing volunteers braved leeches, ticks and impenetrable lantana to recover fresh scats from most of the koalas. These scats will be tested for Chlamydia and genetic diversity via our partners at Sunshine Coast and Sydney Universities.
4. Koalas occurred in a variety of plant communities from ridge top dry sclerophyll to moist turpentine/rainforest areas.
5. 70% of koalas/scats were found in Grey Gums (Euc. Propinqua) with the remainder mostly in Tallowwood (Euc, Microcorys)
6. Koalas don’t like lantana. No koalas were found in lantana areas which were extensive in all areas surveyed. The message here is if you want to have an immediate impact on creating koala habitat then get rid of your lantana (planting trees is great but they take a long time to grow).

These results mean the Wang Wauk and Bulahdelah State Forests are no longer the forgotten ARKS. No significant koala surveys have been conducted in this area for over 15 years and the area is currently not directly benefitting from any other koala related funding. The results are remarkable and reflect the importance and power of citizen science ventures like ours. Hopefully, our area will now attract additional funding like that currently occurring around priority koala ARKS such as Tinonee and Bootawa.

Finally, given these results we would love to continue our survey works in the future. We need many more surveys to understand our population and disease status in what is potentially a new State significant Koala population. We have the capability and the koalas but lack the funding to continue these works in the future. Please support future works via:

Donate | Bunyah Restoration Project Incorporated (bunyahkoalas.com)

This project was financially supported by the Australian Government
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This project was significantly supported by
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