Northern Rivers’ koalas at risk after dog attacks and car hits during mating migrations

It is koala mating season and severe habitat destruction – including from the Black Summer bushfires – is causing an “alarming” increase in koala deaths and injuries as they hit the ground looking for love.

Sex-crazed koalas already displaced by the Black Summer bushfires could be putting their entire under-pressure colonies at risk by running the deadly gauntlet for love.

Northern Rivers koala experts have reported an “alarming” increase in reports of the randy marsupials being hit by cars and attacked by dogs during this year’s mating season.

In the last few days, two female koalas and their female joeys were killed in the Lismore area. One in a dog attack and one hit by a car, koala veterinarian at Friends of the Koala, Jodie Wakeman said.

“We’re losing females at an alarming rate,” she said. “Usually they have joeys, so you lose two koalas.”

“That’s our breeding stock and if we lose them we’ll be in real trouble, we can say goodbye to our koala population if we don’t have females.”

Friends of the Koala is a specialised koala hospital, and the only one licensed to rescue, rehabilitate and release wild koalas in the Northern Rivers region.

In the past 12 months, 318 koalas have been admitted to the hospital, 61 from car hits and 22 from dog attacks.

“Koalas are spending more time on the ground moving between trees and that’s why they get into trouble at this time of year during mating season,” Dr Wakeman said.

Friends of the Koala president Aliison Kelly said the marsupial populations have been forced into urban areas where they are vulnerable to dogs and cars by continued land clearing and climate change related natural disasters.

“Because their habitat is shrinking it’s not easy for them to find another place,” Ms Kelly said.

“That’s why we have lots of koalas coming down from the trees and onto the roads or into people’s backyards.”

The deaths of so many female koalas is resulting in a disproportionate amount of males in the koala colonies, Dr Wakeman said.

The males are forced to fight over the few remaining females, resulting in increased stress that can exacerbate life-threatening diseases like koala retrovirus and chlamydia.

A rescue koala at Friends of the Koala hospital.

These diseases are nearly impossible to effectively treat when they aggressively spread throughout the colony.

“The diseases are worse because their immune systems can’t fight them properly,” Dr Wakeman said.

“And factors like koala retrovirus suppress their immune system; they don’t respond well to treatment.”

“If they have active retrovirus and then they get a chlamydia infection, they are very unlikely to survive.”

Chlamydia spreads rapidly through koala colonies, with 144 Northern Rivers koalas being admitted to the hospital with the disease over the last 12 months, Dr Wakeman said

Dr Wakeman said it was essential members of the community reported symptoms presenting like brown stained rumps, or crusty red eyes.

“Otherwise they’re out spreading it to all the others — and it’s a slow and painful death,” she said.

“You’ve either got to take them out of the colony and treat them, or euthanize them, whichever is best for the koala.”

Aliison Kelly is calling on Northern Rivers residents to keep their eyes out while driving and lock their dog up at night.

“Be attuned to your surroundings, and stay in the moment of driving,” she said. “Look at the side of the road for animals, and are you prepared to stop?”

If you have found a sick, injured or orphaned koala call the Friends of the Koala 24 hour rescue hotline immediately: [phone].