orphaned koalas taste freedom after escaping death

Sydney, 13 February 2022 – Two orphaned koalas who spent months in care after being rescued as joeys in Australia have had their first taste of freedom in the wild.

The success story comes after IFAW vets at the Friends of the Koala hospital in New South Wales (NSW) spent months caring for Rafa and Kookie who were rescued when their mums were fatally hit by cars.

Rafa and Kookie were both protected by their mums’ pouches when they were struck last year.

Rafa luckily sustained no injuries when he was rescued in May and Kookie, who was rescued in September, suffered from internal bleeding but recovered well under the care of the expert vet team. They both remained in rehabilitation, learning to climb trees and eat eucalyptus until they were deemed old enough to make their first step towards life back in the wild.

They had their first taste of freedom on February 9 when they graduated from koala kindergarten and were taken to a pre-release site where they’ll stay for a few weeks. The vets will monitor them during this time until they’re ready to venture into the wild.

Rafa and Kookie were joined by another koala Magnus, who was abandoned by his mum when she chose to rear his twin instead. All three koalas didn’t look twice when being released into their new temporary homes.

“Every koala that’s released back into the wild gives us hope for the future of the species,” IFAW Wildlife Campaign Manager Josey Sharrad said.

“To be able to watch these koalas grow from joeys weighing no more than 330 grams to taking their first jumps in a wild environment is remarkable. Rafa, Kookie and Magnus can now help contribute to the future of the species which is more important than ever given koalas in NSW are endangered and at risk of being extinct by 2050.”

Friends of the Koala has seen a significant increase in the number of koalas being injured and killed as a result of car strikes in the past six months. As humans continue to encroach on koala habitat, koalas have nowhere to go, forcing them onto roads where they are at risk of collisions with cars.

“With the recent floods in the area as well, our koalas have really been up against a lot,” IFAW vet at Friends of the Koala Dr Jodie Wakeman said.

“Being involved in the rescue and rehabilitation of joeys like Kookie and Rafa, who stole the heart of the team with his heart-shaped pattern on his nose and seeing them one step closer to life in the wild, is why we do this work.”

ENDS

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