Wild Koala Breeding Program - Celebrating one year at Guulabaa - Place of Koala

This year marks a major milestone for the Wild Koala Breeding Program at Guulabaa - Place of Koala, run by Koala Conservation Australia (KCA). In its first year of operation the program has welcomed 23 founder koalas—11 males and 12 females—and achieved an impressive 100% breeding success in its first breeding season. The first cohort of joeys (seven in total) are now becoming independent of their mothers, while other founders have been paired up for the current season.

This initiative comes at a crucial time.

Koalas in the wild are under immense pressure: habitat loss, disease and climate stress have placed them in a precarious position. 

But the work of the Wild Koala Breeding Program is only one pillar of KCA’s broader approach. The Wild Koala Breeding Team has also been very active in the field surveying wild koala populations across the region. Our fieldwork includes high-tech methods: a thermal drone is flown overnight to scan the forest canopy for heat signatures (identifying koalas with minimal disturbance), and then the field team makes early-morning hikes to confirm locations on foot. Specialist tree-climbers scale the identified trees to safely capture koalas, perform rapid field checks, and then—when necessary—transport them to KCA’s veterinary clinic for a full health assessment.

During the most recent field trip, three female koalas were treated for chlamydia and then released back to the exact tree they came from, healthy and free to contribute to the breeding season.

This model reflects our holistic mission: to rescue, treat, rehabilitate and care for sick and injured koalas… and to conserve them through key programs such as habitat restoration and the Wild Breeding Program. The Guulabaa facility doubles as both a visitor and breeding centre, enabling the public to learn about koalas, while KCA advances research and conservation outcomes.

For visitors, volunteers and supporters alike, the take-home message is clear: by combining advanced monitoring techniques, veterinary care, habitat knowledge and dedicated breeding efforts, KCA is forging new pathways in koala conservation. The Wild Koala Breeding Program not only helps bolster numbers directly, but also provides data and experience that can inform wild population management elsewhere.

In short: one year in and results are strong.

With founder koalas now entering the second breeding season, joeys maturing, and field programs advancing, the Wild Koala Breeding Program at Guulabaa - Place of Koala, is proving that bold, integrated approaches to wildlife conservation can deliver real hope for one of Australia’s most iconic species.