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WHY it's going to be a BIG YEAR for our KOALAS.
Can you imagine Australia without koalas? The Black Summer bushfires of 2019, burnt over 1 million hectares of known and likely koala habitat on the NSW North Coast, decimating populations and pushing the species to the brink of extinction. Habitat destruction, road strikes, dog attacks and disease continue to reduce koala numbers and the situation is now critical.
The Port Macquarie Hastings and Macleay regions are home to one of the most significant wild koala populations in Australia, and it’s also home to Koala Conservation Australia (KCA) and our internationally renowned Port Macquarie Koala Hospital.
THIS YEAR, KOALA CONSERVATION AUSTRALIA (KCA) IS LAUNCHING TWO MAJOR PROJECTS:
A world-first Wild Koala Breeding Program at ‘Guulabaa’
KCA has taken urgent action to help save our endangered koalas by developing a Wild Koala Breeding Program, based in the Forestry Corporation of NSW-owned Cowarra State Forest. It has been named ‘Guulabaa’ (pronounced ‘Goo-lah-bah’), meaning ‘place of koala’. Guulabaa is just off the highway near the Port Macquarie interchange. It’s already a popular place with visitors, with Wildnets Adventure Park and the Big Koala Sculpture opening last year. The main breeding facility and visitor complex is due to open towards the end of the year and will also be open to the public.
At Guulabaa, you’ll be able to:
• Observe koalas from the viewing decks
• View koala care at the clinic
• Check out the interactive, educational exhibits
• Learn about wild koala conservation
• Browse the gift shop
• Indulge in something yummy at the cafe
• Watch and Learn as we prepare koala feed
• Stretch your legs along peaceful, forested pathways
• Bounce through the treetops at Wildnets
• Grab the all-important ‘Big Thing’ selfie with the Big Koala!
Behind the scenes at Guulabaa, KCA aims to build a large and healthy foundation breeding population with 70 joeys born and rewilded each year by 2027. It’s a bold program that’s too important to fail. They’re collaborating with research teams, scientists and ecologists from Taronga Conservation Society, The University of Sydney, and the Australian Museum. Together they’ll monitor these koalas, joeys and their habitat, with the goal of sharing findings so they can be used throughout Australia. Without this intervention, along with KCA’s important habitat conservation work, the future of our wild koalas is grim.
2. KCA are building a new Koala Hospital!
The Port Macquarie Koala Hospital, built in 1973, is the world’s first rehabilitation facility dedicated solely to the care and conservation of wild Koalas. Each year, KCA treats hundreds of sick and injured koalas, and welcome over 100,000 visitors from all over the world. The humble sheds that house the Koala Hospital grounds in Port Macquarie’s town centre are well past their use-by date. From August 2023, the Koala Hospital will be temporarily relocated to Guulabaa. Hospital buildings will be demolished, and a brand-new facility will be built on the existing site. We can’t wait to see the modern, fit-for-purpose Koala Hospital and Education Centre come to life!
IF YOU’RE PLANNING ON VISITING THE KOALA HOSPITAL IN LATE 2023/ EARLY 2024, PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING:
• It'll be open to visitors as normal until around the end of 2023.
• The Koala Hospital’s Lord Street site will be temporarily closed during the redevelopment period (for around six months from late 2023 to early 2024). Follow the Koala Hospital on socials or check their website for updates as these dates may change.
• Our koala patients will be temporarily relocated to our facility at Guulabaa, and you’re welcome to visit us there as soon as it’s open.
Follow the Koala Hospital on Facebook or visit the website for opening/closing updates.
ADOPT A KOALA!
Koalas need your help! One of the ways you can do this is to adopt one of the Koalas that the Koala Hospital cares for. You'll receive a personalised adoption certificate, the story of your koala, an information booklet, a Koala Hospital Bookmark, and a printed copy of our latest Koala Hospital “Gum Tips” magazine. Hot tip: it makes a great gift.
ABOUT KOALA CONSERVATION AUSTRALIA (KCA)
Koala Conservation Australia Limited manages the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital and the Wild Koala Breeding Program. This not-for-profit organisation has the wider mission to lead the world in the care and conservation of wild koalas, to increase knowledge and understanding of the species and to work collaboratively to ensure their survival into the future.
