Google Earth Community: Koala Habitat Collection

Significant koala habitats in Australia. These placemarks denote areas where koalas can be reliably found today, though there have been sightings in many other areas and there is evidence to suggest koalas are increasing their range across eastern Australia.
All information obtained from Koala Management Plans and other notes available on websites from the State Governments of Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland. Aside from Victoria, I could not find much detail on specific colonies in the other states. Corrections and feedback welcome.

Next to the kangaroo, the koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) is probably Australia’s most iconic animal. Koalas live along the eastern seaboard of Australia, from the cold sub-alpine forests of Victoria to the tropical rainforests of northern Queensland. Koalas also inhabit the hot, dry open woodland along rivers in central New South Wales and Queensland. An aboreal marsupial herbivore, the koala is often mistakenly called a “bear” when it’s closest relative is actually the wombat.

Koalas feed exclusively on the leaves of certain species of eucalyptus trees that they also make their home. Due to the effort required to digest the tough leaves (which are toxic to most animals) koalas need to sleep between 18 – 22 hours a day. Despite it’s quiet, slothlike appearance, the koala is quite agile and can move with great swiftness and strength when it needs to. The koala also has a powerful call, a deep throaty rumble that can be heard over a kilometre away.

The koala’s status in Australia is a source of much debate. Koala numbers were quite low at the time of European settlement and it is believed hunting practices by indigenous Australians was a major factor in this. Hunting for the fur trade by European settlers also decimated populations through the 19th century.

Due to extensive deforestation since European settlement, many koala habitats are actually “islands”, that is, small pockets of bushland surrounded by farmland and/or housing. Because these koalas have a limited range and breed quite effectively, colonies can soon eat faster than the trees can reproduce leaves and starvation can result. Trees denuded of foliage can also die, confounding the problem.

Despite these problems, the koala’s range is increasing, due to re-location programs initiated by state governments and the koalas protected status. Re-location is not without it’s problems though and genetic diversity, the spread of a strain of Chlamydia and the success rate of introducing animals to areas with large human populations are some of the issues here. Sterilization programs are also in place in some areas, and together with relocation can help in the future sustainability of highly populated “island” habitats.

The well organized koala lobby in Australia has very differing views to the scientific concensus concerning overgrazing and starvation, and strongly objects to all current management policies including relocation and sterilization. Unfortunately, koalas do starve to death when a burgeoning population eat their “island” and management is necessary in some places to avoid suffering.

The koala status as “near threatened” in the lower risk category is debatable, but there are many perhaps less “charismatic” mammals that on the brink of extinction in Australia, likes Gilbert’s Potoroo and the Mountain Pygmy Possum, of which only a handful remain. Perhaps more advocacy and donations should be spent on the dismal plight of those species that may be all gone in a matter of only years.

http://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/PDFs/recoveryplan_draft_koala.pdf

http://www.epa.qld.gov.au/nature_conservation/wildlife/koala_plan/

http://www.dse.vic.gov.au/dse/nrenpa.nsf/fid/-E260BBD07DD52CF4CA256DE3007F1144/$file/Koala.pdf

https://www.savethekoala.com/

Photo courtesy of: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koalas