As millions of eyes across Australia watched a local koala being scolded for crossing a busy road, there was another koala quietly recovering after becoming lodged in a car’s grill.
While both koala’s lived to tell the tale, new data shows seven out of every ten koalas who end up on local roads don’t.
And as we enter koala breeding season, Logan motorists have been urged to slow down.
Last week, a koala now named ‘Ted’ was filmed holding up traffic on Beaudesert-Beenleigh Road.
Moments later, an 82-year-old from Beenleigh, Terry, can be seen picking Ted up, carrying him to the side of the road near bushland, and giving the koala a stern talking to.
“I was telling him not to scratch because I’m trying to help him,” Terry told 7News.
“And the little mongrel just kept scratching.
“But he was only protecting himself.”
The cute interaction went viral, gaining more than one million views online in just days.
But the stark reality of road safety for koalas is more frightening.
According to data from RSPCA and Wildcare, more than 70% of koalas that needed help on Logan roads last year did not survive.
The same data shows that, in the same year, motor vehicles were the leading cause of koalas needing help.
While Ted made headlines, there was another local, less-popular koala who was fighting for his life.
This Mundoolun local was hit by a car on Mundoolun Road and became lodged in the car’s grill as it travelled to the base of Tamborine Mountain.
The driver contacted Wildcare for assistance when the koala, nicknamed ‘Bear Grills’, was discovered.
Logan City Council’s senior environmental officer, Samantha Colbran, said Bear Grills was one of the lucky ones who would hopefully live a long and happy life.
“I’m pleased to report that Bear Grills is healthy and recovering well after undergoing surgery for a fractured thigh,” Ms Colbran said.
She said Bear’s story was a timely reminder for local drivers as the council launches its annual koala breeding season awareness campaign, which has seen variable message signs and roadside banners rolled out across the city’s known koala crossing hotspots and busy rural roads.
“We have a shared responsibility for koala conservation and we encourage drivers to slow down and look out, especially at dusk and dawn, when koalas are most active,” Ms Colbran said.
“This time of year, koalas are on the move in search of a mate or new territory and may be forced to cross roads so drivers need to be extra vigilant.
“We ask members of the community to take notice of all warning signs in wildlife areas. It is up to each of us to play a role in keeping koalas and all wildlife as safe as we possibly can.”
Bear is recovering well at Moggill Koala Rehabilitation Centre, according to Logan council, and is expected to be released in the coming months.
The local council has provided extra tips for the locals:
- Give koalas the time and space to travel safely to their new mate.
- Watch for wildlife signs and be cautious around corners, crests and areas with roadside vegetation.
- Take extra care in rural and semi-rural areas.
- If you see a koala on the road, slow down, sound your horn and dim your lights.
- If an animal is injured call RSPCA Ambulance on 1300 ANIMAL or Wildcare on 5527 2444. Early intervention can make all the difference.
- If safe to do so, alert oncoming traffic to slow down, usher the koala off the road and keep an eye on it until help arrives.
- Report all wildlife sightings (including deceased animals) via Council’s website: logan.qld.gov.au
