NSW bushfires: Taronga Wildlife Hospital involved in rescue mission

A daring rescue mission has been undertaken to save ‘vital’ koalas which are directly in the line of bushfires in the Blue Mountains.

Koalas and joeys have been rescued from a bushfire-ravaged national park. Photo: Taronga Conservation Society Australia

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Taronga Wildlife Hospital and Science for Wildlife has undertaken a daring rescue operation to save a small group of chlamydia-free koalas in bushfire-ravaged Kanangra-Boyd National Park.

The koalas were directly in the path of the 140,000ha Green Wattle Creek burning 15 km south west of Warragamba Dam.

RFS crews battling the Wattle Creek Fire on November 26. Picture: Jeff Walsh / Matrix

Science for Wildlife (SFW) director, Kellie Leigh, said National Parks and Wildlife Service gave them a two-day window when it was safe to go in in front of the fire.

They saved 12 — three adult male koalas and five adult females, four of which have joeys — who are now being cared for behind-the-scenes at Taronga Zoo until it is safe to release them back into the wild.

A koala and joey safe at Taronga Wildlife Hospital. Picture: Taronga Conservation Society Australia

“These koalas are hard to find and catch,” Dr Leigh said.

“We wish could have saved more, but we’re glad we could rescue this group. A lot of good people helped at very short notice.”

Taronga Conservation Society’s director of welfare, conservation and science, Nick Boyle, said this week’s forecast has multiple days above 40 degrees in western Sydney with gusty and changeable winds.

“So it was important that we rescued these animals from impending danger,” Mr Boyle said.

Taronga’s Conservation partner, Science for Wildlife, has been studying koalas in the Blue Mountains since 2014.

One of the koalas rescued from Kanangra-Boyd National Park. Photo: Taronga Conservation Society Australia

“We have found at least five areas that support significant numbers of koalas and three of those are currently being hit by bushfires,” Dr Leigh said.

Koalas in the Blue Mountains World Heritage Area are the most genetically-diverse koalas in the country, making them critical for the conservation of the species.

Kanangra Boyd National Park, Oberon. Photo: Supplied

The aftermath of the Green Wattle Creek. Picture: Jonathan Ng

The Kanangra-Boyd population is also chlamydia-free, one of only two such koala populations in NSW.

“Once a thriving 3-4 million community, koala numbers are now as low as 300,000,” Dr Leigh said.

“Saving each and every koala population is vital to the species’ survival.”

To donate, visit: taronga.org.au/savekoalas or scienceforwildlife.org/donate/