Media Release - 25-04-06
Rare Koala sighting may be last
Bermagui resident Kate Gentle got a big surprise last week when she spotted a Koala crossing the road in Bermagui State Forest. A call to forest ecologist Robert Bertram led to fresh Koala faecal pellets or scats being found under a preferred feed tree adjacent to the road, confirming that a Koala had recently been at the location. Kate said she knew the animal had to be a Koala although she hadn’t seen or heard one in the area before. Signs nailed to trees beside the road indicate imminent broad area burning is planned for the area.
According to Robert Bertram, the forests from Dignams Creek to Wapengo, part of the Five Forests, contain the only known native Koala population on the far south coast, although confirmed Koala sightings in these forests are very rare.
Koala numbers have dropped markedly in the past decade. Apart from loss of habitat through logging, their decline has been assisted by rapidly expanding areas of Bell-Miner associated dieback and more recent forest decline during dry weather associated with changes to soil structure and reducing fertility.
“It is regrettable that this endangered Koala population is now facing further threat from the proposed burning,” he said. “ It is almost 12 months since the NSW Government breached the Regional Forest Agreements when they approved logging of critical Koala habitat in Murrah State Forest. Sometime after the logging crew withdrew, the NSW Government promised to implement a community consultation process to address concerns about Koala habitat management. Unfortunately this consultation has not eventuated and the significant community concerns remain.”
Kate was very privileged to see one of our last Koalas, but the failure of the NSW Government to list the population as endangered in NSW could mean it may be the last such sighting.
“Even if this Koala survives the fire, broad area burning in declining forest will result in many more trees being killed, and exposing the soils will further reduce water holding capacity, all of which have a negative impact on this Koala’s chance for survival. In addition, under the current weather conditions whether or not fire spreads to other habitat on adjacent private land and in Bermagui Nature Reserve will depend entirely on luck,” he concluded.
“In contrast the Friends of the Five Forests are promoting positive change to forest management based on world’s best practise and credible science to assist Koalas and begin the process of restoring our forests.” he said.
The draft Five Forests management and research proposals can be downloaded from www.fiveforests.net and are available for public information, comment and suggestions.
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