Koalas are facing grave threats from multiple sources

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Koalas in Queensland are facing three main threats to their lives: cars, chlamydia and canines. In that order.

This is according to a team of scientists who tracked the causes of mortality among the animals.

“Car strikes, dog attacks and chlamydia-induced illnesses are injuring and killing an incredible number of koalas across the South East Queensland,” stresses Prof. Joerg Henning, of the University of Queensland School of Veterinary Science.

“In the five years between 2009 and 2014, 52 per cent of reported wild koala deaths were caused by car strike, 34 per cent were from a chlamydia-related disease and 14 per cent were because of a dog attack,” Henning says.

“This equates to 1,431 koala deaths from a car strike, 943 chlamydia-related deaths, and 395 dog attack deaths in just five years. Remember that these deaths were just the reported cases, so the real numbers would be significantly higher,” the scientist explains.

That is worrying as these threats come on top of others. “Populations of the iconic Australian koala are under constant decline. Their deaths are associated with rapid and extensive urbanization and the fragmentation of habitat areas,” the scientists write in a study.

Their findings are based on the KoalaBASE, a citizen-driven database kept since 1997 across 15 local government areas across Queensland. By quantifiying these risks to wild koalas, experts can devise strategies to protect them from further harm, which is especially important now that koalas have been declared to be an endangered species by the country’s government.

“This analysis is a useful starting point for more pro-active approaches to managing preventable wild koala mortality risk,” says Mark Stevenson, a professor at the University of Melbourne. “There are plenty of policies that could reduce car and dog impacts on South East Queensland’s dwindling wild koala populations.”

Among these approaches, more signs should be placed along roads to alert motorists to reduce their speed in known koala habitats and activity areas. “Construction of over- and underpasses is also essential to ensure the safe movement of koalas through their habitat,” Henning notes.

“And information campaigns could help reduce the numbers of dog attacks on koalas by reminding owners to leash their dogs or keep them fenced in areas. It’s vitally important to reduce koala deaths caused by dogs,” the expert says.

“Our research included plenty of mapping, so we’re now keen to work with policymakers to identify specific areas where intervention efforts can help to reduce koala deaths.”