Caught on film: Koalas using wildlife bridge to cross busy road

A camera has captured proof of koalas using a purpose-built bridge to cross a suburban road, in footage that is being celebrated by one of Queensland’s leading koala researchers.

The images, revealed exclusively by this masthead, show koalas using a log bridge installed by Brisbane City Council to cross busy Boundary Road, which runs between Coorparoo and Camp Hill.

A koala crosses Brisbane’s first purpose-designed wildlife log bridge over Boundary Road near Whites Hill Reserve.

The bridge allows koalas to travel to and from the koala habitat of Whites Hill Reserve, but the road below is a dangerous zone for the protected mammals.

In 2022, Brisbane City Council built the bridge and reduced the speed limit from 70 km/h to 60km/h on sections of the road following community pressure, after 20 koalas were hit by cars and trucks.

Confirmation the animals will use these bridges will open the door to planners to build more, better connecting fragmented ecosystems, University of Queensland koala researcher Dr Bill Ellis said.

“I was sworn to secrecy when I got shown some of this footage, because this is amazing, this is really unusual,” Ellis said.

The log bridge over Boundary Road was built in 2022 after 20 koalas were killed by cars and trucks there.Credit: Tony Moore

“It is very hard to get images of koalas using these smaller-scale, man-made structures.”

Ellis said researchers knew koalas would use large bridges over highways and culverts under roads, but had no proof – until now – that koalas used these smaller-scale, affordable log bridges.

“I don’t think anyone has ever recorded a koala going across a bridge,” he said. “I’m pretty sure this is the first time it has been recorded.”

Cameras have been rolling for the past eight months, and show more than 100 movements by koalas and possums.

More than 100 koala and possum movements have been recorded over the bridge.

Ellis said there could now be further discussion of the bridge’s design, its lighting and the way in which koalas were encouraged to use the log bridge.

“If koalas can learn to use these structures over roads in suburbia, I think it’s a bit of big deal,” Ellis said.

“It certainly means – as another step to connecting some of this fragmented habitat – this is another tool in the connection arsenal we are able to deploy.”

Brisbane lord mayor Adrian Schrinner said council had added new fencing and 12 “escape poles” in May to help koalas and possums climb up and down from the Boundary Road bridge.

“This vision shows our world-first bridge helps koalas move between important bushland areas, and it’s fantastic to know they’re able to cross safely to find new mates and grow the local population,” he said.

In March, Brisbane City Council also committed $150,000 to advancing a koala chlamydia vaccine with QUT researcher Professor Ken Beagley.

The Queensland government released its five-year koala strategy in 2020, but in 2021 a federal biodiversity report found less than 8000 koalas would live in the wild in south-east Queensland by the 2032 Olympic Games – compared with more than 32,000 in 1992.