Koalas
Protecting koalas by preserving habitat and reducing threats
In Queensland, many people work collaboratively to protect koalas, including restoring their habitat, reducing threats and caring for sick and injured animals.
Fast facts
Common name: Koala
Scientific name: Phascolarctos cinereus
Family: Phascolarctidae
Status: Endangered
Habitat: Open forest and woodland communities, where they can eat eucalypt leaves and the leaves of a few other related tree species
Species overview
The koala has captured hearts worldwide with its iconic appearance and ecological habits
The koala is culturally and spiritually significant to many First Nations people and is known by many names. The word koala is said to come from the Dharug language of the Greater Sydney region. The word ‘gula’ means no water, referring to the observation that koalas don’t often drink water. Gula has been anglicised to ‘koala’.
In Queensland, koalas are found across a wide geographic area and in various habitats, from coastal plains in South East Queensland to the tropical rainforests of the Wet Tropics.
Since European settlement, individual koala populations have declined, and local extinctions have occurred. In our state, the greatest concentration of koalas is in South
East Queensland, where they compete for space with a rapidly growing human population.
While koalas are under pressure, strategic and collaborative conservation efforts are in place to help protect and conserve koalas in the region.
Ecology and behaviour
Koalas live in eucalypt forests and woodlands, depending on eucalyptus leaves for food and shelter. Their habitat include eucalyptus tree species that koalas prefer for foraging, such as blue gum, swamp gum, and tallowwood.
Eucalyptus leaves are toxic to most animals, but koalas, using their specialised digestive system, can break down the toxic oils. Koalas get most of their water from the eucalypt leaves.
Like their closest relative, the wombat, koalas have hard bottoms. Koalas use this feature to wedge comfortably in tree forks for long periods. They will climb to the ground to move between trees. On the ground, koalas move slowly because they are poorly adapted to walking.
Koalas have poor vision but use their excellent hearing and acute sense of smell to detect predators, other koalas, and their favourite food trees.
The male koala uses a scent gland on his chest to mark trees and attract females. Koalas give birth to underdeveloped young that keep growing in the pouch for about 6 months. Adult female koalas have a backwards-facing pouch to protect their young from injury while the mother moves between trees. When the joey emerges from the pouch, it rides on the mother's back for another 6–12 months.
Characteristics
The size, colour and shape of koalas differ slightly across eastern Australia. All koalas have:
- a large, round head
- big furry ears and a big black nose
- strong arms, powerful legs and sharp claws.
- two thumbs on each hand.
In Queensland, koalas have:
- thick grey fur, with white fur on the chest, inner arms, ears and bottom
- an average weight of 5–6kg (adult females) and 6–8kg (adult males).
Threats
- Habitat loss and fragmentation
- Vehicle strikes
- Disease, such as chlamydia
- Dog attacks
- Climate change, especially hotter and drier summers.
What’s being done?
- In 2020, the Queensland Government released the South East Queensland Koala Conservation Strategy, a comprehensive plan to protect and conserve koalas in the region. This strategy sets out four targets:
- stabilise koala numbers in South East Queensland
- increase total core koala habitat
- start restoring 10,000ha of koala habitat
- reduce threats to the koala’s survival.
The strategy includes six action areas:
- Habitat protection. We introduced koala protections, such as stopping the clearing of koala habitat areas within koala priority areas and regulating a further 385,606 ha of koala habitat areas.
- Habitat restoration for koalas. We partner with landholders and local governments to restore koala habitat.
- Threat management. We develop targeted and transparent threat reduction programs in collaboration with local government, conservationists and the community.
- Improved mapping, monitoring, research and reporting. We have developed a statistically robust monitoring program to track South East Queensland’s regional koala population trends. We also deliver high-quality koala habitat mapping across South East Queensland. These programs help us measure changes in koala populations, habitat and threats. They also help guide management actions to improve outcomes for koalas.
- Community engagement. State and local government, First Nations people, building and development industries, conservation sector and households are working on habitat restoration, citizen science projects, community engagement programs and threat mitigation.
- Partnerships and strategic coordination. We continue to forge and strengthen our partnerships with local government, natural resource management groups, environmental organisations, researchers, wildlife care groups and others through the Koala Advisory Council.
- Since 1991, our Moggill Koala Rehabilitation Centre (previously, the Moggill Koala Hospital), has cared for sick, injured and orphaned koalas. Once rehabilitated, the team returns koalas to their natural habitat at or close to their rescue point.
- Since 1995, our Daisy Hill Koala Centre, located in the Daisy Hill Conservation Park, has provided a unique place to learn about koala education and conservation.
- Queensland’s national parks and protected areas play an important role in protecting threatened species. As part of the Queensland Protected Area Strategy 2020–2030, we’re acquiring more land to expand our protected area system and help conserve critical species habitat.
- A National Recovery Plan for the Koala was released in 2022 in response to the listing of these populations as Endangered. The plan applies to koala populations of Queensland, New South Wales and the Australia Capital Territory
- We are committed to jointly delivering the plan’s research and management actions to maximise the long-term survival of koalas. We also have representatives on the national koala recovery team board and strategy and governance group.
Who is helping?
- Queensland Trust for Nature (QTFN)
QTFN partners with us on the Koala Habitat Restoration Partnership Program, establishing partnerships with landholders, local governments and other stakeholders to deliver koala restoration projects in strategic locations across South East Queensland.
- Healthy Land and Water (HLW)
HLW partners with us in koala threat abatement initiatives: working cooperatively with local governments, non-government organisations, and communities to co-design and deliver a targeted and transparent threat reduction program across South East Queensland. They also deliver a koala habitat restoration local government partnerships program, establishing partnerships with local government and regional natural resource managers for the restoration and assisted regeneration of koala habitat in koala priority areas and koala habitat restoration areas.
- First Nations Traditional Owners
In 2024, in collaboration with First Nations people, we developed a First Nations Koala Action Plan.
- University of the Sunshine Coast (USC) and Queensland University of Technology (QUT)
USC and QUT researchers have received Queensland Government funding to progress their groundbreaking work on the development of a vaccine to address chlamydial disease in koalas.
- South East Queensland Wildlife Hospital Network (Currumbin Wildlife Hospital, Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital, RSPCA Queensland and Moggill Koala Rehabilitation Centre).
We provide annual funding to this hospital network to provide care for sick, injured and orphaned koalas in Queensland. - Griffith University (GU)
GU researchers have been working on an AI-powered koala monitoring system and have supported the co-design and implementation of community engagement and threat mitigation initiatives in partnership with local governments to support koala conservation. This includes delivery of the successful Leave It wildlife aversion training for dogs.
The CSIRO is leading the co-design of the National Koala Monitoring Program. Our South East Queensland koala monitoring data feeds into this program, and we partner with CSIRO on other koala monitoring projects.
- Environmental and community groups
These groups help to monitor koala populations and restore koala habitat.
How you can help
- Report koala sightings on the QWildlife app.
- Report sick, injured, and orphaned koalas by calling 1300 ANIMAL (1300 264 625).
- Drive with caution in known koala habitat areas, particularly during koala breeding season (Spring–Summer).
- Be a responsible dog owner by making sure your dog is always on a lead in bushland areas and is restrained or inside at night. You can teach them wildlife avoidance skills by participating in the Leave It training program or use the free app.
- Teach about koala conservation in schools or your community with free, curriculum-aligned resources.
- Join an environmental or community group working to monitor koala populations or restore koala habitat in your local area.