Plea to give koalas a fighting chance

The Peninsula’s shrinking koala population is facing huge challenges threatening its survival, but a group of dedicated volunteers is doing everything it can to give the marsupial a fighting chance.

In the lead-up to World Wildlife Day on March 3, we’re shining a light on the work they, and other wildlife advocates, are doing in our community while also exploring what we can do to help.

Last month, we joined koala rescuers and advocates Tash Barker and Therese Hollan as they returned a seven-year-old koala to its habitat at Kippa-Ring following a three-month stint at Moggill Koala Rehabilitation Centre.

It is believed the koala, known as Blinky to locals and Coolio to rescuers, had been bitten by a dog on the neck and shoulder and arm, which became infected.

He was returned to ‘his tree’ on the grounds of Holy Cross Church and Southern Cross Catholic College’s Kippa-Ring campus.

Therese says moments such as Blinky’s release are special.

“That’s what those involved in koala rescue live for. It overshadows the bad things. You’re never going to get over the losses, but this is what you live for,” she says.

The week of Blinky’s release was particularly tough for rescuers and carers such as Tash.

“We’re only three days into this week and there have been at least three koalas I know that had to be euthanized and another two are deceased,” she says.

“You do get to that point, sometimes, you’re like seriously I cannot handle any more of this. Then, something surprising will happen and then you get a new lease on life.”

She first met Coolio about three years ago and says he has a special place in her heart.

“I love Coolio. You’re not supposed to have favourites but he’s definitely one of my favourites. One of the orphans was being released today but I said: ‘if I have to choose, I’m going to choose Coolio no matter how much time I’ve spent with the other one’,” she says.

Tash is a member of Pine Rivers Koala Care and wildlife rescue organisations. She has attained necessary licences and permits independently, seeking out training and conferences to gain skills since 2018.

“The main reason was that I would always come across wildlife that was sick, injured or orphaned and I would take it to the local vet and didn’t know what happened after that,” she explains.

“I’ve lived on the Peninsula my whole life and backed onto the golf course, so obviously grew up with koalas everywhere.”

Therese is a volunteer with Redcliffe Environmental Forum (REF) and is on the organisation’s committee.

“I guess my journey did start with REF. I joined their bush care group in 2017 and, from there, realised that we still do have koalas on the Peninsula,” she explains.

“My interest has been predominantly koalas. I was with Moreton Bay Koala Rescue for a couple of years but, due to my work commitments, I’m not doing that anymore.

“It’s also quite sad. A lot of the koalas don’t come home, so it’s that realisation. You join because of a love for them but you have to be quite strong and resilient to hang in there.

“I also advocate for the Peninsula koalas, in particular, because I also grew up on the Peninsula.

“The railway corridor split their habitat, so now we’ve got fractured populations (12 on) this (northern) side of the rail corridor as well as a population of 50-odd on the southern side.”

Call for action

Therese was part of a meeting with Moreton Bay City Council and DETSI (Department of Environment Tourism and Science) in August in a bid to create a management plan for the area, particularly Hercules Rd.

“With the population of 50 … it sounds like a good number but unless we look at the genetic diversity of what’s still remaining in there, it’s not guaranteed they’re going to be here into the future,” she explains.

“We’re trying to achieve a grant where we can get one of the universities on board to health-check them and have a look at the genetic diversity to see what needs to be done to try to shore up that population moving forward because in a lot of senses, they’re land-locked.

“They’re existing in fractured pockets and they can’t always get from one surviving group to the other.”

Therese says there are about 12 koalas in the area that includes Silcock Reserve and the Redcliffe Golf Course at Clontarf.

“There are big concerns for that population because the numbers are quite low now and they are surrounded by roads, which unfortunately impact, as well as dogs,” she says.

Tash and Therese would love to see a more co-ordinated approach to koala preservation, involving volunteer organisations, the State Government and Council.

They also urge residents to do what they can to give the marsupials a fighting chance by taking notice of warning signs and driving slowly in those areas, keeping dogs in at night and joining a bush care group.

“You talk to a lot of average Australians and they’ve never seen a koala in the wild, so it’s certainly something special and something to treasure,” Therese says.

“There are so many things against their survival. That’s why we view every koala as important.”

See the photo gallery of Coolio's release

Photos by Dominika Lis