Koalas Dwindling Numbers Being Investigated with GPS Tracking

6 Oct 2015

There has been a significant drop in the number of koalas — going from 30,000 to 20,000 in only 20 years. Only 200 koalas are estimated to be left in the southern highlands.

Twenty koalas will have a GPS tracking device collar attached to their necks by Southern Highlands Koala Conservation Project researchers for real-time monitoring their movements and exact position. This project involves the Sydney University, Wingecarribee Council and the Office of Environment and Heritage.

Through a 3G network, these collars transmit data to the base stations, as well as the researchers’ smartphones and laptops.

The data collected will be used for finding out where the koalas live as well as to conserve their habitats, according to Mark Speakman, NSW Environment’s Minister.

He says they be able to determine what the koalas are consuming, where their habitat is located and come up with plans of management for protecting the koalas that are more focused.

Joe Stammers, wildlife conservation officer for Wingecarribee Council, says the data on koala corridors can be included into local environmental plans, which will help to make better assessments and decisions for the future.

The water catchment areas and national parks basically protect the koalas; however, bushfires back in 2013 drew out some of the koalas from these areas and exposed their vulnerability to urban growth, fires, roads and disease.

Also threatening the koala population is Chlamydia.

While visiting a site, Foxtrot, a tagged koala, was captured, weighed, provided a quick health check and then let go.

This koala was stated to have the STI chlamydia, according to David Phalen, vet Associate Professor of University of Sydney, but, it wasn’t presently impacting its health.

He says there has been a decline of koalas in the areas that are located west of the Hume Highway which could be due to chlamydia.

About Koalas

The koala, native to Australia, is an arboreal herbivorous marsupial. They usually are situated in open eucalypt woodlands and their diet mostly consists of the leaves of the trees in these areas. Since their diets are limited of caloric and nutritional content, they tend to sleep around 20 hours a day. Because they are marsupials, they usually give birth to young, underdeveloped koalas which stay in their mothers’ pouches for the first 6 to 7 months of their lives. The young are referred to as joeys and at around a year old, they wean fully from their mothers. Koalas have a few natural parasites and predators, however, are at risk of many pathogens like the koala retrovirus and Chlamydiaceae bacteria, as well as droughts and bushfires.


Comments are closed.

About Live View GPS

We specialize in real time GPS tracking systems. GPS tracking, GPS monitoring and management for vehicles, assets, equipment, property and persons. Whether your needs are consumer or commercial based, personal or business related we have a cost effective GPS tracking solution for you. Locate in real-time and on demand vehicles, people and property from any web based computer. View these locations on our systems integrated maps. Our GPS devices are the real deal, they are tested and proven, they work.