Protect Koalas from car hits
Car hits are one of the major threats to Koalas in the Northern Rivers of NSW. Vehicle strikes happen all year round but particularly during breeding season between June and December when adult male koalas are moving in search of a mate and whilst the previous year’s juveniles are dispersing. If you see what appears to be a sick or injured koala, it is crucial that you call our 24/7 emergency hotline immediately.
Protect Koalas from car hits
Car hits are one of the major threats to Koalas in the Northern Rivers of NSW. Vehicle strikes happen all year round but particularly during breeding season between June and December when adult male koalas are moving in search of a mate and whilst the previous year’s juveniles are dispersing. If you see what appears to be a sick or injured koala, it is crucial that you call our 24/7 emergency hotline immediately.
Be proactive
Report every koala you see close to, or on a road immediately.
Save the phone number for koala rescue across the Northern Rivers, call Friends of the Koala’s 24/7 koala rescue hotline 02 6622 1233.
If a collision occurs
If you have struck a koala or you see a koala by the side of the road. Make sure to pull in safely and call our 24/7 koala rescue hotline on: 02 6622 1233, whether the koala appears healthy, injured or dead. Do not touch or try to transport koalas yourself as this could pose a significant risk to their health and safety, and yours. If you can, stay with the animal until a rescuer attends. If you cannot stay, try to be as exact as possible about the location: specific addresses, GPS points or landmarks are incredibly helpful.
Driver vigilance
Nobody wants to hit a koala and there are a number of ways to lower your chances of colliding with one. Being attentive to the road is key. Consider if you are driving through koala habitat. Are there warning signs and what is the speed limit? Just by reducing your speed you can lower the incidence of car hits, reduce in the severity of injuries and increase likelihood that the koala survives. Are you driving at dawn, dusk and in the first few hours after darkness? Country roads often have no lights so visibility is reduced, however if the koala is facing you, you may see their eyes glowing. Slow down. Be attentive. Save lives.
Car hit risk factors
Koalas are generally found in areas abundant in eucalyptus trees, which are essential for both food and shelter. Urbanisation, land clearing and forest logging represent a formidable threat to koalas and increasingly their habitat is being destroyed. Whilst koalas spend most of their time in trees, they do need to come down to the ground to move from tree to tree - this is especially true in areas where their habitat has become fragmented. Habitat fragmentation occurs when infrastructure like roads and urban development cut through where the koalas live. Whilst koalas can be killed on any stretch of road at any time, typically, these incidents tend to happen in certain places known as hotspots, they also typically occur at night, after dark or first thing in the morning and during breeding season but driver vigilance is required 24/7.
Statistics
From May 2023 to May 2024, 71 koalas were hit by vehicles, of which just 13 were rehabilitated and released back to the wild. Unfortunately, 80% of koalas hit by vehicles last year did not survive the impact. Our statistics show that there has been a 15% increase in the number of koalas admitted to our Northern Rivers Koala Hospital as a result of car strikes than the previous year. In a single week in 2023 six koalas died from vehicle strikes and from June to December 2022, Friends of the Koala, were called to 42 car strikes across the Northern Rivers region. This is devastating and avoidable.
living with koalas
Koalas haven't yet adapted to living with humans and generally show no avoidance of roads - they just want to get to the trees on the other side or use road edges to easily move across the landscape. Urban environments are stressful and disorienting for koalas. They experience both acute and chronic stress trying to find sufficient food and negotiating roads, domestic dogs, pools and fences. This stress can make them more susceptible to diseases, creating a harmful cycle for the koalas. Koalas are unpredictable and may sit in the middle of the road unmoving, or bolt out in search of a tree to climb.
Supporters
This campaign is proudly delivered by the Northern Rivers Koala Partnership (made up of six councils and Friends of the Koala), and supported by the NSW Government. This initiative aims to unite communities in safeguarding koalas and their habitats.
