More koalas to be moved on

THE Department of Environment, Land Water and Planning (DELWP) resumed its koala management program on private properties at Cape Otway in Victoria’s south-west this week.

The Autumn 2018 program will help continue to manage the koala population and the recovery of the manna gum woodland.

The program will run for two weeks and include health checks, fertility control, and translocation of koalas to the Great Otway National Park.

Overabundance of koalas at Cape Otway has been a challenging wildlife management issue resulting from the koalas’ love of Manna Gums and their reluctance to change food source, as well as favourable climatic conditions and an absence of predators.

DELWP koala management program manager Vural Yazgin said that DELWP’s management programs had so far resulted in a more sustainable koala population across private properties, with a reduction from an average of 13.9 koalas per hectare in October 2015, to 1.8 koalas per hectare in March 2018.

A sustainable koala density is believed to be approximately one koala per hectare.

“While the overall koala and habitat health at Cape Otway has improved, relatively high koala densities still remain on some properties, and further programs are needed to continue to manage the population,” Mr Yazgin said.

“Areas with the highest koala densities and declining habitat will be targeted for translocation and fertility control of females that have not been previously caught.

“The manna gums at Cape Otway have suffered and declined significantly due to severe koala overbrowsing since 2012.

“The translocation of koalas to a habitat of mixed eucalyptus tree species in the Great Otway National Park will continue to help the manna gum woodland to recover and prevent any potential koala welfare issues.

“The health of all captured koalas will be assessed and koalas fit for release will be returned to their home range. Any unhealthy koalas assessed as too sick or having other serious health issues, will be humanely euthanased to prevent further suffering.”

DELWP has delivered six management programs at Cape Otway in the past three years.