Did you know that Gunnedah is The Koala Capital of the World?
The shire of Gunnedah is in the lower Namoi River Valley on the Liverpool Plains in northwest New South Wales and has a population of 12,819 people.
But how many koalas are there are in Gunnedah?
When I wrote ‘Are Koalas in Decline’ for the IPA Review a couple of years ago I had no idea that Gunnedah was a koala hot spot.
Indeed I didn’t even include Gunnedah in my list of known koala populations!
My article include comment that there area bout 59,000 koalas in the mulga-lands of southwest Queensland, 25,000 in southeast Queensland, 8,200 in North Coast NSW, and 27,000 on Kangaroo Island South Australia and that the population in Victoria could total one million.
When I was in Gunnedah earlier this week it was pouring with rain so I didn’t get any photographs of the koalas that on a fine day apparently wander the streets.
But here’s one from the photo gallery at www.infogunnedah.com.au
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And how many koalas are there in Australia?
Jennifer Marohasy BSc PhD is a critical thinker with expertise in the scientific method.
Maybe I’m blind but growing up on a property outside of Charleville (SW QLD) I saw a grand total of 1 koala in 20-odd years. I spent a lot of time outside mustering and keeping and eye out for wildlife, so I’m surprised at those numbers. Where’d the 59 000 number come from?
A few weeks ago I went to Kangaroo Island for 5 days. I’d heard all the stories about how there were so many koalas out there that tree’s were dying etc. 5 days of camping at Flinder’s Chase and bush walking – total koalas: 1.
Looking out my window at work in Adelaide – total Koalas: 4.
Perhaps all the koalas have left the bush and moved to the city in search of work?
tree’s –> trees
Hi Nexus 6,
Where abouts in Adelaide (suburb) do you work?
Nexus, The 59,000 figure is from ‘Low-density Koala populations in the mulgalands of southwest Queensland. Abundance and conservation status’. Sullivan et al. Wildlife Research, 31 (1) 19-29.
Sullivan et al. concluded that the most favoured habitat was riverine vegetation which covered only 0.9% of the region but supported 45% of the population. they guestimated 59,000 individuals based on the “faecal standing-crop method”.
Is it the size of the koala population, or the lack of genetic diversity caused by inbreeding, that is the problem (disease is a problem too)?
About 7-9 years ago the Australian Koala Foundation conducted some research into Koala populations in the Pilliga. Prior to the research they were promoting a fugure of approx. 15,000 Koala’s remaining in NSW. After the Pilliga research they announced that their survey had yieded a result of approx. 17,000 Koala’s in the Pilliga. I am not certain of their methodology so cannot comment on it.
So it is not surprising that Gunnedah shire is claiming to be the Koala capital, as it is next door to the Pilliga.
Wildlife research is problematic and the modelling of wildlife populations more so due to the lack of quality data for model inputs, especially in regards to vegetation distibution and structure, or if you like the core habitat requirements of many species.
The NSW Government chose to end the Statewide Vegetation Mapping programme a number of years ago, much to the anguish of many wildlife and other researchers. The reason for doing so appears to have been primarily due to budget constraints, though inter agency squabbling has not helped. So now there is no consistent, quantifiable, representative and repeatable State wide coverage of vegetation type and structure for NSW.
What we have is a patchwork of vegetation studies, for different aims, and policy outcomes utilising different methods and underpinned by different veg-mapping philosophies. Tragic really.
They stopped mapping in NSW because they realised that once you start making representations about vegetation you have a duty to be accurate and truthful. You can just imagine how well that went down at Spiv Central.
But as far as the Pilliga goes, they have just ended the one activity that maintained the health of the Koala population there. Timber harvesting has always maintained forests in a permanent state of vigorous early maturity. And this is the state that maximises both leaf area and nutrition.
Koalas are not stupid, they can smell the stench of a mismanaged EPA forest from miles downwind so they have voted with their feet and favoured the forests managed for timber production.
But as this has all now ceased we can expect increasingly fierce competition between stems for water and nutrients with resulting declines in leaf maisture content and nutrition which, combined with the associated increase in leaf polyphenyls that render the leaves indigestible, will produce mass morbidity and death of the Koala population over the next two decades.
Just another day in the brave new green utopia.
Ian,
Having had quite a bit of contact with the former state wide mapping program I can vouch for the genuine attempt at accuracy and truthfullness amongst the veg mapping practicioners, be they aerial photo interpreters or botanists.
I suspect that there was a great deal of undermining of the program from within other agencies such as DEC (NPWS) and the RBG (Botanic Gardens. These two agencies have always maintained that they were the “one true” cutodian of veg mapping expertise in NSW. Load of bollocks really when a quick examination of some of the NPWS output over the years is conducted. Northern NSW CRAFTI mapping program comes to mind immediately. ’nuff said.
I agree, Peter. I heard of one mapper who quit rather than do the sort of stuff he was expected to do. My reference to Spiv Central was to an office on Phillip Street.
One thing they have consistently done is to map gullies full of Lantana as Rainforest. As long as there is one lonely Blue Quandong/ha of Lantana it will make the grade.
And the less said about the ethics and professional standards of the Botanic Gardens, the better.
Libby, I work in Urrbrae.
Jen, thanks for the info. It’s surprising. The mangy little fella we came across was quite a way from the creek and not in a gum tree. Just passing through and climbed the nearest tree when he heard the motorbikes I guess.
The ones I’ve seen here are certainly big, fat, healthy specimens though.
Port Macquarie is more deserving of the title “Koala Capital”. I’ve traveled through Gunnedah many times, having grown up an hour west of the town and have never seen a single koala. Port Macquarie however has two dedicated koala parks and even a koala hospital.
hi, well let me just say that im from gunnedah and have been of many years now. And im hearing a lot bout gunnedah being the koala capital of the world but to b honest its only on occasions that you see them. every now and then u will see a koala walking down the road moving from tree to tree. In all my 15 years of living in gunnedah iv only seen bout 7 or 8 koalas and maybe thats cus gunnedah have a lot of gum trees planted around town sorry but i agree with nexus 6 gunnedah shouldn’t be koala capital it should be port macquarie
koala is my one n only the most favourite of mine.i pray for the long life of koala’s species and also to have a koala in my live as i love koala…………….
bbbbbbbbbooooooooossss