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California Polytechnic University

Publication Date

Fall 2023

Program Name

Australia: Sustainability and Environmental Action

Abstract

Koala populations in New South Wales, Queensland, and the Australian Capital District are currently faced with factors that threaten their survival. Within one decade, their status has shifted from stable to vulnerable to endangered. The cause of this is attributed to increased exposure to dog attacks, vehicle collisions, diseases, and habitat fragmentation and destruction. The koalas' status of endangered in these territories has illuminated the need for human intervention. This study focuses on the specific form of human intervention that involves the rescue, rehabilitation, and release of wild koalas. Due to the recent koala status change from vulnerable to endangered, there is little to no historical information on how to best treat and rehabilitate koalas for release back into the wild. The findings of this study present a framework for what factors should be present in koala recovery centers for them to be effective. The main factors that must be present and conducted properly are rescue, daily care and observation, medical care, education and advocacy, and research. This research utilizes a case study on a specific koala recovery center called Friends of the Koala located in Lismore, NSW. Following observation, review of annual release rates, and overall productivity in the community, this organization has proven to be effective and can function as an example for what each of the factors should look like. These results provide unique insight into the design and practice of koala recovery centers and may be used as a provision to all current or developing koala recovery centers.

Disciplines

Animal Studies | Environmental Indicators and Impact Assessment | Natural Resources and Conservation | Zoology

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