Drive safely: baby koala on board

Koala Conservation Centre (KCC) head ranger Dan Kallstrom reported a wild koala with a joey was recently sighted among the branches outside the KCC enclosure at Five Ways, according to the Phillip Island Conservation Society.

There have been no photos snapped of the mum and baby yet, with PICS reporting it was just one of two wild joeys found in recent years, with the last in 2019 and another in 2007.

“This is one very special joey, so it is now more important than ever to slow down, especially in the morning, evening and overnight when the koala may try to transfer location by moving along the ground and crossing roads,” PICS Facebook stated.

The last island-wide koala count was in November 2016, when less than 20 koalas in the wild were counted.
A planned count in 2020 has been rescheduled to this year, due to Covid-19.

The KCC is dedicated to conserving the species, with a population currently totalling 21 koalas.
PI Nature Parks is currently focused on the creation of an “Island Ark” through its Threatened Species Plan: the reintroduction of endangered animals and plants, including the southern bettong, growling grass frog and long-nosed potoroo.

PINP CEO Catherine Basterfield has ruled out stepping up efforts to increase wild or captive koala numbers, saying they were an introduced species to Phillip Island.
“There are very limited opportunities for koalas to be released on Phillip Island as we do not have the range of tree species to support a viable population, and we also have a diseased (chlamydia positive) wild population that would compromise koalas being relocated,” Ms Basterfield said.

“This is why the Nature Parks has not identified koalas in the Threatened Species Plan as an appropriate species to re-establish in the wild on Phillip Island.”

Click here to subscribe to the Advertiser for full access to all your local news.