Danger Down Under: Saving Koalas from Modern Threats
Oct. 14, 2010— -- They are the national mascot of Australia, and some of the cutest animals anywhere on the planet. But that may not be enough to save the koalas.
Their natural habitat is shrinking as suburban sprawl takes over. They're losing the trees they need for food and shelter. Living in close proximity to humans comes with a whole new set of risks.
In Queensland, Australia, I met a dedicated group of veterinarians and wildlife sanctuary workers who are doing their best to protect these sweet-natured animals.
Vets at the Australian Wildlife Hospital see the impact of urbanization on koalas every day. In the intensive care unit, signs posted on the cages of injured koalas indicate what kind of dangers the animals face. Cage after cage lists traumas like "dog attack" and "hit by car."
One doctor said that while 600 koalas a year are brought to their facility for treatment, only a third of them recover enough to return to the wild. That's a serious toll for a koala population estimated at no more than about 80,000 in all of Australia.
Deborah Tabart is the head of the Australian Koala Foundation and one of the animals' most tireless advocates. (Down Under, she's famous, known as "the koala woman.") She says these kinds of traumas multiplied in recent years as the human population expanded into areas where koalas once roamed free.
As she walked down a road that runs right through koala habitat, she pointed out how the animals frequently cross back and forth in search of food. "It's amazing how often they do it," she said. "And then one day, they get killed."
Modern threats are kept at bay at a koala sanctuary. Safe from the hazards of the outside world, koalas in the sanctuary are free to eat their fill of eucalyptus leaves, and sleep the day away.
"They sleep about 20 hours a day. And it's because they actually have to – the eucalyptus is so low in nutrients that it doesn't give them much energy," Tabart explained. "So you have to eat, then you have to rest, then you have to go find food again."
