Australia’s koala relocation program seems successful so far

No one thinks of koalas as destructive animals.

At 14 times the tolerable population density, they can be real killers.

Koala populations in Cape Otway, Victoria, Australia, spiked five years ago. Hundreds starved to death as they denuded eucalyptus trees.

“I’m an animal lover as well so it’s sad seeing the destruction that the koalas create, but it’s also sad seeing them starving too, so the whole effect was devastating for all of us,” said Cape Otway resident Amber Noseda, while surveying a dead grove of leafless eucalyptus trees.

Last year the government started a relocation program. So far about 500 koalas have been captured, treated by veterinarians, and relocated to lusher environs.

Female Koalas are given contraceptive implants to slow species growth.

“Signs are great so far, they seem to be really adapting to the new habitat,” said Jim O’Brien from the Department of Environment.

In the dry sandy Victoria environment, everything grows slowly. it might take decades for the Cape Otway eucalyptus trees to regrow sufficiently to support the koala population.

Meanwhile, the relocated koalas seem to be surviving but not spreading.

“The canopy of the forest seems to be relatively stables,” said Dr. Jack Pascoe, manager at Conservation Ecology Center, “so that would be, indicating that the early years of the program are relatively successful.”