Wildcare Australia believes urban sprawl and disease causing decline in Gold Coast wild koala population

THE Gold Coast’s wild koala population is declining due to disease and urban sprawl, believes the head of an animal welfare group.

A koala saved by Matt Watrach at Coomera Waters

THE Gold Coast’s wild koala population is declining due to disease and urban sprawl, says the head of an animal welfare group.

Another koala bit the dust on Saturday after Coomera Waters resident Matt Watrach found a female dazed and emaciated on his morning walk.

Mr Watrach called not-for-profit Wildcare Australia whose volunteers picked it up within 40 minutes and took it to the Currumbin Wildlife Hospital.

Unfortunately the severely emaciated koala was found to have conjunctivitis caused by chlamydia — a common koala disease — and was euthanased.

Mr Watrach said he believed koalas were being “squeezed” out of their decreasing natural habitat as a result of Coomera and Pimpama urban sprawl.

Wildcare Australia president Karen Scott said while the latest death could not be blamed on urban sprawl, development had put a strain on the population.

A koala nursed back to health by Matt Watrach after he found it wandering backwards in a dazed, malnourished state in Coomera Waters bushland.

“Not only do they have a habitat problem, they have a large problem with disease as well,” she said.

Ms Scott said she didn’t have specific figures but based on previous surveys “their numbers have to be in decline”.

Wildcare works closely with the council relocating koalas via council’s East Coomera Koala Conservation Project.

“The city council has done a lot more for koalas than a lot of other councils in southeast Queensland,” she said.

Gold Coast councillor Cameron Caldwell, for Division 3, said the council was committed to relocations: “Council has been pretty mindful of the impact of development on koalas and has a strategy to preserve existing koala populations.”