Templestowe: Koalas pop up at Westerfolds Park in first local sightings in years

Dog attacks, disease and loss of habitat had forced koalas out of a part of Melbourne in the past six years. But it appears they have made a welcome return.

Koalas have been spotted in three Manningham suburbs in the first local sightings since 2015. File Picture.

A wildlife campaigner says the rise of lockdown walks could have helped eagle-eyed locals spot koalas in Manningham for the first time in six years.

Manningham Council has become aware of three active areas for koala sightings in Templestowe, Warrandyte and Wonga Park.

The council’s director of city services, Rachelle Quattrocchi, said three recent sightings had been recorded by locals on walks in Westerfolds Park in Templestowe, and another near the Fourth Hill site in the Warrandyte State Park.

The council’s last recorded sighting was in 2015, with the koalas’ disappearance attributed to habitat loss, disease, dog attacks and road accidents.

Mayor Andrew Conlon said he was unsure why koalas had come back to Manningham but the council was “interested in finding out how we can encourage their population to grow”.

He said the council was planting some of the koalas’ favourite native trees including Manna Gums and Long Leaf Box Eucalyptus along its hill tops and waterways.

“The last time I saw one was about 16 years ago, and we haven’t heard of many since then,” Cr Conlon said.

“We’re hopeful they can repopulate in the area as it would be a great attraction to have kangaroos as well as koalas to go searching for along the river corridor”.

Wildlife Victoria chief executive Lisa Palma believed the gum leaf-loving marsupials had always been in the area, with numbers dropping significantly in the past 20-30 years.

“Certainly they’ve been in that area for a very long time in low numbers and rarely spotted,” she said.

“With Covid-19 lockdowns and people going out for more walks, we’ve seen an increasing trend in people noticing our wildlife which is great.”

Ms Palma, who lives in Donvale, said the recent sightings were a reminder for locals to be aware of koala and other native animals’ habitats.

“The main thing is to be respectful and keep a distance and not disturb them,” she said.

“It’s also very important to understand even in our own backyards, planting native gardens are very important, a lot of our native species rely on gum trees and other native shrubs for food.

The council is hosting an online webinar on July 28 to encourage locals to plant native trees and make their gardens more inviting for local fauna to visit.