During the warmer months of spring and summer, koalas in Queensland are moving around to mate or establish new territory. Young koalas are also leaving their mothers to find a home of their own.
Koalas are nocturnal so they are most active between dusk and dawn.
They may be seen crossing roads, navigating backyards, and possibly getting caught in other dangerous situations.
We’re all doing our part to protect our iconic species, but koalas especially rely on those in their local community during breeding season.
Help them on their journey by following some koala-friendly tips.
How to be a koala-friendly driver
Koalas have little awareness of how dangerous a busy road can be.
You can help make roads safer for koalas by:
driving carefully, especially between dusk and dawn when koalas are most active, and whenever you see a koala crossing sign
calling 1300 ANIMAL (1300 264 625), if you see a sick or injured koala.
How to be a koala-friendly dog owner
Our beloved and protective canines are unfortunately one of koala’s greatest threats. Dog and koala interactions usually result in koala injury and mortality, and backyards are the most common location for this to occur.
You can help keep your dog and koalas safe by:
keeping your dog inside or contained at night
training your dog in wildlife avoidance through the Leave It program
creating koala-friendly fencing to give koalas an escape route.
How to have a koala-friendly backyard
Koalas are more active during breeding season and can face many obstacles when travelling through busy neighbourhoods.
You can help koalas navigate your backyard safely by:
creating koala-friendly fencing by adding a simple escape route such as positioning a timber post at an angle against your fence
making your pool koala-safe by attaching a thick rope to a floating object or place an escape board for them to grab onto if they fall in the pool
letting your neighbours know if a koala has been spotted in your area by using the koala sightings dashboard below.
Koala breeding season facts
Koalas in Queensland are highly mobile and can live anywhere with access to shelter and food. Their habitat consists of eucalypt, brush box, paperbark and blood wood trees.
Koalas can be found throughout much of Queensland, with most calling South East Queensland home. Let your neighbours know if a koala has been spotted in your area by using the koala sightings dashboard below.
During breeding season, we’re more likely to see koalas as they move down from their trees to find a new mate or new territory. This generally occurs between dusk and dawn when koalas are most active.
Males begin mating at three to four years of age. Females begin mating, and can breed, when they are two years of age, generally giving birth once a year. Adult male koalas are noticeably larger than adult female koalas, with a broader face and distinctly larger black nose, and can easily be distinguished by the large scent gland on their chest.
In February 2022 the conservation status of koalas within Queensland, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory were classified as endangered under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.
Koalas living near you
View koala habitat areas near you by using the interactive dashboard below. The dashboard also shows information about recent koala sightings made through the QWildlife app.
It’s important to note that a number of sightings may have been submitted for the same koala, and that the number of sightings does not necessarily represent the number of koalas in a given area.
Have you seen a koala in the community? You can report your own koala sightings by downloading the QWildlife app for iOS and Android. All sightings of sick, injured or orphaned koalas should be reported to 1300 ANIMAL (1300 264 625). Find more information about reporting koala sightings.
