A bittersweet moment as we release Ashton back into the wild!
Ashton came into care after his mother Kimo, a former ambassador koala for IndigiScapes Centre - Redland City Council, was taken into care and later euthanised due to a tumour growing in her abdomen.
This left young Ashton without a mother and he was raised by the wonderful koala carer Anika Lehmann. “Ashton was a gem to care for, such a sweet boy," said Anika.
When Ashton was big enough, he went to Australia Zoo 's Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital, to a place actually known as "kindy"! , where he got to spend time with fellow little ones, followed by the tree plantation, where young orphan koalas go to learn to be a wild koala.
After Ashton graduated from kindy, he was released back into the Redlands.
4000 people march for forests 24 March
Marches were held in Sydney, Canberra, Adelaide, Newcastle, Bega, Kyneton and Lismore calling on federal government to end native forest logging. The week before, 3000 marched in Hobart.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/mar/24/thousands-rally-across-australia-in-growing-push-to-end-native-forest-logging
Koala Summit NSW 22 March
The summit was held on Friday 22 March, with about 150 attendees.
https://www.smh.com.au/environment/conservation/conservationists-to-clash-with-government-at-koala-summit-20240321-p5fe48.html
https://www.wires.org.au/blog/nsw-koala-strategy-under-review-amidst-threat-of-extinction
https://www.northerndailyleader.com.au/story/8564316/new-forestry-plan-seeks-to-avoid-koala-free-future/
Koala data missing at critical time in development approvals NSW 14 March
Sydney Basin Koala Network have released a report showing that 44% of Campbelltown records were missing from the NSW government BioNet at the time that Mt Gilead was approved, and 40% missing from Wollondilly when Appin was approved. Government has since uploaded the records, and the Mayor of Wollondilly Council is now calling on the approvals to be reviewed.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-03-14/missing-bionet-koala-records-concerns-approval-gilead-appin/103583364
Koala Vaccine to be registered 4 March
QUT Koala chlamydia vaccine is set to be registered for use by vets and wildlife hospitals, with funding support from Brisbane City Council.
https://www.miragenews.com/koala-vaccine-has-brisbane-city-council-support-1186182/#google_vignette
Cherry Ballarts important to koalas 14 March
Koala use of Cherry Ballart trees in the You Yangs Victoria linked to heatwaves. Male koalas used the small trees more than females.
https://www.koalaclancyfoundation.org.au/the-importance-of-cherry-ballarts-to-koalas/
Are federal environmental laws tackling biodiversity extinction? 29 March
Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young has said "Closed-door consultations only silence experts and stifle ambition, this will not solve our extinction crisis."Hearings into the EPBC will start in April and the full inquiry will report on June 28.
https://au.news.yahoo.com/whether-environment-laws-stop-extinction-220728683.html?
Logging to resume on Kangaroo Island with new plans 27 March
SA government have given the go ahead to AAGIM/Kiland to resume logging Blue Gum plantations, with a new koala management plan. Wildlife advocates are reviewing the plan.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-03-27/approval-for-tree-felling-to-resume-on-kangaroo-island-koala/103638778
https://www.thenewdaily.com.au/news/state/sa/2024/03/26/logging-kangaroo-island-koala-deaths
Estimating koala abundance from acoustic recorders 22 March
University of Sunshine Coast student Miranda Braakhuis’s Honours project has tested the accuracy of estimating koala numbers from acoustic monitoring.
https://www.facebook.com/DetectionDogsForConservation/posts/pfbid0CFXzkDtLBMx2w44UzLo2RA7utUMRHeAMigZjFokSirk9yfTvtdafkZkFfHyY47Cjl
Koalas sighted in Sydney’s northwest forests 2 March
Hills-Hornsby Rural Koala Project has recorded 20 koalas in areas affected by the 2002 Baulkham Hills Complex Fire.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-03-02/koala-population-recovering-two-decades-after-hills-hornsby-fire/103500876
Water for koalas in northern NSW 25 March
47 Tree Troff water drinkers will be installed in the Bunya to Borders corridor, a Koala Climate Corridors project.
https://www.ifaw.org/au/press-releases/drinking-stations-water-koalas-wildlife-australia
Funeral held for Pine Creek Koala Habitat 29 March
Friends of Pine Creek have held a funeral for the last koala of Compartment 14, a koala hub recently logged by Forestry NSW. Pine Creek SF is part of the proposed, yet-to-be-actioned Great Koala National Park.
https://www.newsofthearea.com.au/logging-activists-hold-funeral-service-in-pine-creek-state-forest?
Credit: News from Koala News & Science, by Janine Duffy, Koala Clancy Foundation & Cheryl Egan, Wild Koala Day