Academics look to Redlands Coast for insights on koala conservation

Koala conservation efforts on Redlands Coast have attracted the attention of scientists and academics studying ways to better protect wild koala populations from the threat of chlamydia disease.

Mayor Jos Mitchell said the work of Redland City Council and its partner agencies recently featured in a peer-reviewed article published in Nature, a world-leading science journal.

“The article explores ways of detecting and monitoring the chlamydia disease in wild koala populations,” the Mayor said.

“Being included in such a highly reputable journal speaks to the quality of Council’s work and is another significant achievement for our skilled team of wildlife research officers.

“We cherish our Redlands Coast koalas and recognise that we have an important role to play in their long-term health and survival.

“Scientists have noted that chlamydia illness is the biggest killer of koalas and infects about 70 per cent of the Australian population, making it a bigger danger than vehicle strikes and dog attacks.

“The impacts of the disease include conjunctivitis-related blindness and severe bladder and reproductive symptoms that can lead to infertility in both genders.

“Some Queensland populations have previously registered infertility rates of more than 50 per cent, which demonstrates the prevalence of the virus and its impact on population numbers.

“It also reinforces the need for continued research to tackle the issue, and we are glad to be at the coalface of this work with our many koala conservation and protection programs.”

Council undertakes these programs in partnership with a range of agencies, such as University of the Sunshine Coast, as well as conservation groups and citizen scientists.

Locally run programs and initiatives include Bluetooth koala tagging, sentinel sites to track koala population trends and dynamics, and habitat restoration projects.

Council also operates an early disease intervention program to proactively manage koala illness through safe capture and treatment.

Council’s Threatened Species Program Adviser (Koala Conservation), Dr Cathryn Dexter, said the research published in Nature proposes a new method for the detection of C. pecorum, the main cause of chlamydial disease in koalas, using DNA from koala scats and genotyping.

“Authors noted in their findings that this approach had similar outcomes to the current gold-standard methodology but was more cost-effective and less invasive,” Dr Dexter said.

“This is a great outcome for all involved and I’m sure many of our Council officers and the wider community will be reading the article with great interest.

“As Nature is a peer-reviewed journal available worldwide, it’s possible that Council and its partners will be mentioned in future scientific research papers on this subject.

“It’s wonderful to see local research efforts reaching a broader audience and having a positive impact on koala conservation beyond our borders.”

The Mayor said everyone on Redlands Coast had a role to play in protecting local koala populations.

“This is particularly important as they become more mobile in urban areas such as yards, car parks, sports fields and even CBD locations,” the Mayor said.

“Some simple steps you can take today to make your property koala safe include providing pool and fence escapes in your yard and keeping pets locked up at night.

“Make sure you also take care on the roads and obey speed limits, particularly when driving through known koala zones across the city.

“These areas are clearly signed to remind motorists that koalas may be active in the area.

“All sightings of injured koalas should be reported to the Redlands 24-hour Wildlife Rescue Service on 3833 4031.”

The full research article is available on the Nature website at this link. For more details about Council’s koala programs, go online to redland.qld.gov.au.