Australian Reptile Park welcomes record koala breeding season

The Australian Reptile Park has achieved a record koala breeding season broken, welcoming 10 koala joeys during the first half of 2018.

The number not only contributes to the larger koala conservation program, but it’s a goal keepers at the Central Coast wildlife sanctuary have been striving to work toward for years – reaching double digits in a breeding season.

The arrival of the 10th confirmed joey had staff in cheers, and some in tears of excitement, with the bundle of joy bringing hope to the declining numbers of the iconic Australian species.

Breeding is based on koalas chosing their partners without interference from the keepers and are monitored daily for potential joeys and once confirmed the keepers do everything in their power to ensure the joeys are cared for and are receiving the required love and nutrition from their mothers.

Earlier in May 2018, Nakia the koala joey was required to be hand raised by The Australian Reptile Park’s resident ‘koala whisperer’ Hayley after her mother was unable to provide milk. Hand raising a koala joey is not in the job description, but keepers will jump without hesitation at the chance to save a life if and when required.

Park General Manager Tim Faulkner explains “I’m actually speechless – 10 koalas ... our keepers have been extremely hard at work ensuring the perfect conditions for our koalas and it seems we have found the perfect recipe.

“At the current rate of decline, koalas are on track to become completely extinct by 2050. Koala numbers have plummeted by a third in the 20 years between 1990 and 2010 due to habitat destruction, deforestation, fragmentation, cars and dogs.

“So breeding programs like ours are extremely important to not only raise the numbers of koalas, but awareness for the species”

The Australian Reptile Park has a population of over 30 koalas and visitors can see the mums and bubs bonding on display in the koala enclosures everyday. The Park is also expanding the koala conservation project further in the coming years to specifically assists the wild population. With the Park breaking records of their koala breeding numbers, they will not stop until more is done to protect the iconic species.

 Australia has the worst mammal extinction rate on earth. With over 40 mammals alone extinct, Australia is an incredibly important region as so many of our species are found here, and nowhere else on the entire planet. 87% of our mammals, 93% of our Reptiles, 94% frogs and 45% birds are only found in Australia and we must protect them.

The Australian Reptile Park is currently celebrating its 60th birthday.

Images courtesy of the Australian Reptile Park.

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26th June 2015 - NSW KOALA CONSERVATION AREA THREATENED WITH LOGGING 

17th June 2015 - AUSTRALIAN REPTILE PARK WELCOMES LARGE LITTER OF DINGO PUPS

6th June 2015 - AUSTRALIAN NATIVE MAMMALS TO BE REINTRODUCED TO NSW

11th January 2015 - NSW GOVERNMENT FUNDING TO PROTECT THREATENED NATIVE SPECIES

19th August 2013 - TWO OF AUSTRALIAN REPTILE PARK’S 23 STOLEN REPTILES RECOVERED

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