evidence of koalas using newly created wildlife corridor

Sydney, 3 May 2023 – Koala poo has been recorded among trees planted only two years ago in Australia giving experts hope for the future of the species.

IFAW has been collaborating with Bangalow Koalas to create a koala corridor across the heavily fragmented landscape in the New South Wales Northern Rivers region. The corridor reconnects existing patches of koala habitat.

Together, the two groups have planted 22,365 trees since 2019 across six different properties which form part of the Bangalow Koalas Community Wildlife Corridor.

One of the properties in Bangalow had 4040 trees planted in April 2021 and after just two years in the ground, has already been used by koalas. Koala scats were found on the property, which sits on the border of Byron Shire Council land, and there was also evidence of koala scratches on trees. Evidence of echidnas and native birds has also been recorded.

“This is why we do this work. Seeing the presence of koalas on trees so young gives us hope that we can bring them back from the brink. But, for that to happen we need to stop cutting down the trees they call home,” IFAW Wildlife Campaign Manager Josey Sharrad said.

“Koalas are up against it—the places they call home are shrinking drastically as humans encroach on their habitat and extreme weather destroys what is left. While creating these safe corridors for koalas to roam is vital for their survival, we really need to protect what is left of their habitat now. This will ensure a future where koalas are seen beyond the gates of a zoo.”

IFAW and Bangalow Koalas have created 15.4 hectares of habitat in the Byron Shire area alone through tree planting projects – achieved with the help of 548 volunteers.

“When you are up at the top of a hill and you’re looking at the different stages of all these plantings, you can see the connection. You can see the corridor. You just think, ‘It’s worth all the blood, sweat, and tears, and we are making a real change for the future.’”

ENDS

Press Contact
IFAW Australia
Dominica Mack
m: +61 460 432 901
e: dmack@ifaw.org 

About IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare) - IFAW is a global non-profit helping animal and people thrive together. We are experts and everyday people, working across seas, oceans and in more than 40 countries around the world. We rescue, rehabilitate and release animals, and we restore and protect their natural habitats. The problems we’re up against are urgent and complicated. To solve them, we match fresh thinking with bold action. We partner with local communities, governments, non-governmental organisations and businesses. Together, we pioneer new and innovative ways to help all species flourish. See how at ifaw.org

About Bangalow Koalas Inc – Bangalow Koalas Inc is a registered not-for-profit charity and environmental organization on a mission to plant 500,000 trees by end of 2025. From humble, small-scale beginnings, now we’re planting hope on a game-changing scale – hope for koalas, hope for the planet and, in the face of climate change, hope for the mental health and wellbeing of our younger generations. By creating a wildlife corridor across NSW’s Northern Rivers, Bangalow Koalas is connecting vital habitat in strategic locations for koalas and many other native species. See more at www.bangalowkoalas.com.au