orphaned joeys on the rise after increase in koala car strikes

Sydney, 2 December 2022 – A koala joey orphaned after his mum was hit by a car is one of many that has been rushed to vet teams because of car strikes in the past four months.

Rafa was in his mum’s pouch when she was hit by a car in the New South Wales (NSW) Northern Rivers region. His mum sadly suffered a fatal head injury, but Rafa was protected by his mum’s pouch and had no injuries.

He was taken to the IFAW vet team at Friends of the Koala to be assessed and cared for until he’s old enough to be released back into the wild.

Since mid-July, the IFAW vet team at Friends of the Koala has been called to 42 car strikes with more than a dozen in the past two months alone.

This includes joey Kookie who, like Rafa, was protected by her mum’s pouch when they were hit by a truck. While Kookie's mum was killed instantly, Kookie was bruised and had internal bleeding but has been improving while under the expert care of the vet team.

“Sadly, we’re seeing a significant increase in the number of koalas being injured and killed as a result of car strikes this year. 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 has stolen the hearts of the team with his heart-shaped pattern on his nose, gives us hope for the future of our endangered species.”

IFAW Animal Rescue Officer Robert Leach said 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.

“This time of year is koala breeding season which means there are more koalas out and about on our roads, which is why we are pleading with the public to be extra cautious when driving,” Mr Leach said.

“Koalas in NSW are already endangered and face a real threat of extinction – we cannot afford to lose more on our roads. Every individual koala matters for the survival of this at-risk species.”

ENDS

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IFAW Australia
Dominica Mack
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