There’s good news for Brisbane’s koala population. Brisbane City Council has confirmed more koalas are being found in gum trees across parts of the city boundaries.

Amy Wilson reports.

TRANSCRIPT

The numbers are in.

There are more koalas, thriving in more areas of Brisbane bushland, than expected.

Adrian Schrinner, Acting Mayor: “The great news is out of the 20 sites we monitored, 17 had koala activity and 10 had high koala activity, which is a great outcome.”

Researchers from QUT used new heat mapping technology via drones to help locate koalas in the wild.

Grant Hamilton, Senior Lecturer QUT: “When we fly over an area with the drone, what we can do is count the number of koalas in that area and at the moment we’re getting up to 100% accuracy in those areas.”

The highest numbers of koalas can be found in bushland throughout the Mt Coot-tha Reserve, Toohey Forest, and Burbank.

There was little or no koala activity in Kuraby, 17 Mile Rocks, or Doolandella.

Adrian Schrinner, Acting Mayor: “This information helps us accquire more bushland in the right areas so we can protect koalas.”

The data will also be used to track migration and genetics.

Council’s koala research here in Brisbane has been ensuring a future for our cuddly friends, hopefully boosting numbers in wildlife corridors throughout the south east.

Amy Wilson, QUT News.