KOALA Conservation Australia (KCA) is celebrating the first anniversary of its world first Wild Koala Breeding Program at Guulabaa – Place of Koala, with remarkable early results that underscore hope for the future of Australia’s iconic marsupial.
Since opening, the program has welcomed 23 founder koalas – 11 males and 12 females – with a 100 percent breeding success rate during the inaugural breeding season.
The first cohort of seven joeys are now becoming independent, and many of the founding koalas have already been paired for the current season.
A timely conservation effort
Koalas in the wild are facing increasing threats including habitat loss, disease, and climate stress.
KCA’s Wild Breeding Program at Guulabaa is a vital part of a multifaceted conservation strategy: not only strengthening wild populations, but also creating a centre for research, rescue, treatment, and habitat restoration.
KCA’s field teams are also out in the wild: using thermal-imaging drones to scan the forest canopy overnight, confirming locations on foot each morning, and deploying specialist tree-climbers to safely capture koalas for health assessments.
Just recently, three wild female koalas treated for chlamydia were released back into the exact trees they were found in – healthy and contributing to the breeding program.
Guulabaa: More than just a breeding centre
Guulabaa means “Place of Koala” in the Gathang language of the Biripi people.
The Wild Koala Breeding Centre is not just a breeding centre.
It is also a visitor and education precinct, designed to engage the public in koala conservation.
A message of hope and science
“The results from our first year are stronger than we dared hope,” said Dr Kate Farquharson, Manager of the Wild Koala Breeding Program at KCA.
“To have a 100 percent breeding success in such an ambitious wild breeding program is extraordinary.
“This is about more than boosting numbers – it’s about learning how to integrate rescue, health, monitoring, and breeding in a way that restores koalas in their wild home.”
KCA stresses that while this program makes a real difference, it is not a silver bullet.
Long-term koala survival depends on continued efforts to preserve habitat, combat disease, and mitigate climate impacts.
To donate, visit https://wild-breeding-champion.raiselysite.com/
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