Top three things you need to know to protect our koalas
Published on 02 February 2024
In the active breeding season between August and February, koalas are much more likely to be out and about.
This increased activity means that our beloved furry marsupials are more likely to be hit by cars or attacked by dogs, and we know that nobody wants to be the cause of an injury or fatal accident.
To prevent these kinds of incidents, make sure you know where koalas are most likely to be - check out our koala mapping project here.
If you live or move through koala country, report any koalas you see, call the 24-hour koala rescue line if you see a sick or injured koala, and make your backyard koala friendly.
Report your local koala sightings
If you see a koala, let us know! Every koala reported informs our koala mapping project, which in turn provides vital information to plan for the future, protect, and manage these areas in a way that supports the survival of koalas.
If you see a koala, please report sightings through the I Spy Koala app or via the online survey here.
Look out for sick or injured koalas
If you come across a sick or injured koala, please call the 24-hour koala rescue line on (02) 6584 1522. '
This service is run by Koala Conservation Australia (Port Macquarie Koala Hospital) and covers Kempsey Shire.
Follow the instructions from the phone operator. Remain at the scene until rescuers arrive and keep the koala in sight if possible, and safe.
Signs a koala may be sick or injured includes:
- red, inflamed or crusty eyes
- very dirty, wet or dark brown bottom
- signs of injury such as cuts, blood, bone fractures or fur loss
- not using all four limbs when climbing or walking
- sitting at the base of a tree or in the same tree for several days
- very skinny.
Create a koala friendly backyard
It's only fair - if we build our backyards in their backyards, we should take special care to make it safe for them.
Some simple ideas:
- Regularly check trees on your property for koalas and report koala sightings through the I Spy Koala app or an online survey here.
- Install koala-friendly fences or make your existing fence koala-friendly by:
- Placing a wooden plank on top to make a koala-friendly walkway.
- For pre-existing sheet metal fences, wooden poles can be placed against the fence at 45 degrees or hang rope over the fence.
- If a koala enters your yard, put your dog inside your house until the koala has left. Do not be afraid you will get “into trouble” if your dog interacts with a koala – call the 24-hour koala rescue line on (02) 6584 1522.
- Provide water for koalas in shallow dishes at the base of trees - particularly during summer.
If you want to help koalas even more, have you considered volunteering? FAWNA and Koala Conservation Australia are two organisations that operate in the Kempsey Shire.
To find out what Kempsey Shire Council is doing click here: ksc.pub/koalas