The 'Guulabaa' - Wild Koala Breeding Story - Part 2

As we mentioned in our previous blog, we are drawing near to the launch of our world-first Wild Koala Breeding Program and Visitor Centre at Guulabaa - Place of Koala - a world-class nature-based tourism experience.

The success of this enormously challenging project is a testament to the tenacity of our board, staff and volunteers here at Koala Conservation Australia, along with the support of our partner organisations, and the generosity of our donors. It really has taken a village!

The Wild Koala Conservation Breeding Program

Although a small number of koalas are successfully bred in captivity each year, they are only suited to living in captivity. They are too ‘humanised’ to be able to survive in the wild, and come from a small genetic pool, making them vulnerable to starvation, attack, or injury. Therefore, although captive breeding has a place, it doesn’t help wild koala numbers.

With wild breeding rates declining - mainly due to disease and a loss of genetic diversity- we knew we had to find a way to breed wild koalas, and we’d commenced early-stage planning prior to the bushfires. The Black Summer Bushfire donations helped us fast-track the development of the program, and in 2020, Taronga Conservation Society came on board as our Breeding Program partner.

How the Program will Work

Our aim is to breed wild koalas from a carefully selected and screened healthy ‘founder’ population in a scientifically controlled research and breeding facility. At Guulabaa, we’ve constructed naturally forested breeding areas, as close to a wild koala habitat as possible, while retaining strict biosecurity animal health and behaviour protocols. Joeys produced will stay with their mothers for around 12 months before being moved to selected wild habitats and monitored. Koalas will then be released in populations that have been devastated by bushfires or in areas where genetic problems have led to disease and premature death, and there is a need to introduce genetic diversity.

Complexities & Challenges

We’ve spent the last four years navigating the complex world of scientific breeding, suitable site and koala founder selection, koala retrieval and screening, and the requisite government approvals. The rules governing the selection of founder koalas from existing populations are understandably strict, with ethical animal welfare paramount. We needed to determine suitable koala populations and sites for koala founder selection and possible translocations. Together with researchers and scientists from Taronga Conservation Society, we started with a desktop analysis of vegetation maps and genetic data, followed by on-ground assessments for terrain, fire recovery, and accessibility. In 2022, we partnered with the University of Newcastle to do drone surveys using thermal cameras and ground validation to confirm koala populations. Only one of three initial sites proved suitable, with other areas ruled out due to low activity or difficult terrain.

By mid-2024, Guulabaa’s forested breeding yards were completed, and we commenced our koala founder selection following the permit guidelines. We had to ensure we weren’t putting existing koala populations at risk, and the koalas we selected had to be thoroughly screened for disease and other health issues. Many koalas we retrieved and screened were deemed unsuitable (mainly due to the disease, chlamydia) and returned to their habitat or taken to our hospital for treatment. Finding healthy and genetically suitable founder koalas has been more challenging than we anticipated. However, it has only further confirmed the urgent need for this program.

Wild Breeding Commences

As the koala breeding season commenced in August '24, we were excited to introduce our eight founder koalas - Jeff, Lawson, Jasper, Fern, Lee, Billy, Juniper and Melinda. These koalas have undergone rigorous health checks and screening to ensure our breeding population is disease-free and healthy. Our founder koalas also come from a broad range of locations within our permitted collection area, to ensure no genetic overlap and that impacts on those populations are minimal. 

They've all settled into their new, spacious enclosures at Guulabaa, and with more koalas screened and ready to join the program over the coming weeks, we’re building a strong foundation.  Let’s just say, ‘romance is in the air’, and we are hopeful that we’ll see our first joeys mid 2025!

New Partners and a New Vision

While we were busy developing the Breeding Program with Taronga, we also needed to find a site for the breeding facilities. During the site selection process, the Forestry Corporation of NSW came on board as a partner, providing a parcel of suitable bushland in Cowarra State Forest just outside of Port Macquarie.

Together, we agreed there was an opportunity to create a sustainable and iconic tourist experience around the Breeding Program, focusing on koala conservation and sustainable forest management, showcasing native timbers and a low-carbon footprint.

‘Caring for country’ was a priority, and Bunya Land Council joined the partnership to showcase the Aboriginal Culture and heritage of the local Biripi people, share their knowledge of the land, and their sustainable land management techniques. Through Bunya’s operation of the café and art gallery, Guulabaa will also provide training and employment opportunities for local Aboriginal people.

To round out the visitor experience, we established a philanthropic partnership with Wildnets Adventure Park, to provide a new treetops playground and nature-based experience. They were followed by the local Hello Koalas Sculpture Trail, with the installation of ‘The Big Koala’ sculpture.

And so, the Guulabaa Precinct Masterplan takes shape. Read more >>>