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Any Australian is more than aware of the plight of our Koalas- with threats coming from all sides, they are facing an imminent risk of extinction. Across the country, this risk grows with every passing day, with the federal government increasing the conservation status of Koalas in ACT, NSW and QLD from vulnerable to endangered. In September of 2022, however, myself and a number of other ANU students had the opportunity to gain firsthand insight into the inner workings of Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve’s Koala Conservation efforts.

The change in conservation status earlier this year came after an estimated decrease in the wild population of 32,00-58,00 individuals, or 30% of the total population over the last three years. This was a result of a number of significant threats- Chlamydia affects 30-100% of wild Koalas (depending on location) and has devastating effects on their overall health and fertility, and is exacerbated by stress, such as that caused by the habitat loss and fragmentation occurring across their natural habitat due to bushfires, human developments and deforestation. At Tidbinbilla, a 40 acre predator free zone has been established for the Koala population, with a small population of Koalas currently within the enclosure. These koalas are monitored fairly constantly, with thermal imaging drones soon to be deployed over the area to better visualise the population within.

Education and awareness

The current primary goal of the reserve circulates around public awareness and education of the plight of the Koalas- there is significant evidence that environmental education has the capacity to “prepare individuals and communities to collaboratively undertake positive environmental action”. The three koalas in a smaller enclosure towards the front of the reserve act as educational tools, and the regular upkeep of the enclosure as was conducted by our team of volunteers helps to attract the public and allow them to learn more about the koalas and their conservation, while the funds from their entry into the reserve are funnelled back into conservation efforts.

Breeding programs

The future of Tidbinbilla’s conservation efforts is in breeding programs not unlike Koala tinder. Chlamydia free, healthy Koalas such as those at Tidbinbilla are few and far between- unfortunately, however, the Tidbinbilla koalas are all relatively closely related, so their breeding has no positive impacts on the genetic diversity and therefore conservation of the species. Enter Stud books- records of captive koalas ancestry that allow breeding programs to avoid inbreeding and maintain the highest level of genetic diversity within the population. The eventual upshot of these programs is the production of an insurance population- a healthy, genetically diverse population that can be reintroduced into areas where the population is extinct or defunct, such as the ACT, where wild koalas haven’t been spotted for some decades- eventually, Tidbinbilla will become a member of such breeding programs and allow for a brighter future for the Koalas.

Until recently, Koalas have been facing a fate that was seemingly inevitably doomed. But with the advent of increasingly sophisticated breeding programs and monitoring efforts, it appears there is hope for some of the nations most beloved animals.