How can humans help koalas?

Answer 1

The koala has been a protected species since earlier in the twentieth century, and this action has brought it back from the brink of extinction. Koalas enjoy a quite healthy population in many parts of Australia, although currently they are listed as "vulnerable" in southeast Queensland. Koalas are a protected native species and many things are being done or trialled to prevent their becoming vulnerable in other areas.

It is up to the individual state governments in Australia to determine how koalas are best helped. Trials have been done to build special passages (as mentioned above) for koalas to travel under roadways to reach feeding grounds. For many years, the Redland Shire (now city) of southeast Queensland maintained speed limits on roads for certain seasons of the year and times of the day, to minimise the risk of koalas been hit by cars. The trials were unsuccessful, and subsequently scrapped. Other trials have seen the management of housing estates, where the keeping of domestic pets such as dogs is tightly controlled, to minimise danger to koalas. In some areas, eco-passages have been built for koalas and other native wildlife to safely cross over or under busy roadways.

Some housing developers try to "buy" government approval for large housing estates by including plans for koala hospitals to be built within their areas of planned development. Sometimes local governments will not compromise the safety of koalas with such a ridiculous scheme, and refuse approval for such housing applications. Research on koala needs is constantly being carried out, and other areas have koala and native wildlife hospitals anyway, seeing a need for such a facility with the increasing numbers of koalas being injured by cars, people or dogs.

People can help koalas by ensuring their domestic pets are properly supervised, and not allowed to roam free in bushland areas. They can be vigilant when driving on roads ip within known koala habitats, especially at night. They can be sure to minimise accidental lighting of bushfires, or to immediately report bushfire incidents.

Answer 2

Although, as of 2013, koalas are not officially endangered, they are still vulnerable, and there are very real fears that they may become extinct in the future. To prevent this from happening, individuals need to raise awareness of the koalas' specialised natural habitat needs, and increase awareness of how much bushland is cut down for housing and roads.

Housing developments lead to an increase in the number of domestic dogs roaming through bushland, and dogs are one of the koalas' biggest killers. In addition, too many people allow their pets to wander unsupervised. If you are someone who lives in a known koala area, then ensure your dog is always well supervised.

Developments and land clearing also lead to more roads. Koalas have a range of home trees, and their territory is often split by roads through new urban developments. As a result, when koalas try to wander from one of their home range trees to another, they are hit by cars. If drivers slowed down through area where koalas are known to wander, there would be fewer deaths again.