What do Victorian koalas need to survive?

Publicly released:
Australia; VIC
Photo by Mélody P on Unsplash. Story by Rachel McDonald, Australian Science Media Centre
Photo by Mélody P on Unsplash. Story by Rachel McDonald, Australian Science Media Centre

Somewhere between 182,000 to 413,000 koalas live in Victoria, and Australian researchers say the complicated history of one of Australia's cutest animals means they're still facing a range of threats the public isn't fully aware of. In a review of the history and current state of Victorian koala conservation, the researchers say many populations are now challenged by a lack of genetic diversity, risk of harm and displacement from commercial blue gum plantations, and pockets of overabundance where too many koalas can ultimately harm the trees they live in and cause population collapse and ecosystem damage. The researchers argue that some necessary steps to protect koalas, such as relocation and fertility control to address overabundance or genetic diversity problems can be challenging for the public to accept, and more needs to be done to effectively communicate the science behind koala conservation to avoid negative public perceptions and make sure decisions are evidence-based.

Attachments

Note: Not all attachments are visible to the general public. Research URLs will go live after the embargo ends.

Research CSIRO Publishing, Web page The URL will go live at 8am AEDT on the day the embargo lifts
Journal/
conference:
Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria
Research:Paper
Organisation/s: Deakin University
Funder: D. Whisson received funding from the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action for koala research.
Media Contact/s
Contact details are only visible to registered journalists.