A survey from University of Queensland researchers is aiming to understand community attitudes towards koalas and conservation strategies.
Led by PhD candidate Renae Charalambous, the survey is open to all people over 18 years of age living in South East Queensland who are able to read and write in English.
“This is a quick and simple survey that asks general questions about koalas and the threats they face as a species, and will provide great benefits to researchers and conservationists,” Ms Charalambous said.
“The end goal is ultimately to find the most effective strategies for the conservation of this beloved, endangered species.”
There is now heightened urgency to improve conservation efforts, following the recent declaration of koalas as endangered in Queensland, New South Wales, and Australian Capital Territory.
“With each passing day, the threat against koalas becomes worse, and the pressure is certainly on if we’re to halt the sharp decline in population numbers,” Ms Charalambous said.
“One of the problems is that humans enjoy living in the same kind of coastal environments as koalas, so we are in direct competition with each other for land.
“As a result, koalas are increasingly at the mercy of threats brought upon by humans, such as motor vehicle collisions and domestic dog attacks.
“We know that koalas attacked by a dog have an 80 per cent chance of dying, and those struck by a car are four times more likely to die than be taken into rehabilitation and released.
“And that’s just scratching the surface for the threats faced by koalas.
“It’s vital we work with our communities to better understand their attitudes towards this issue and the animal in particular – this survey will provide great data to do just that.
“We’d love as many people from the South East Queensland region involved as possible.”
Head to the survey page if you fit the criteria, are interested in completing the survey, or would like to learn more.
On completion you will be offered the chance to enter a random draw to win one of five $100 dollar gift vouchers.
Media: Ms Renae Charalambous, r.charalambous@uq.edu.au, +61 410 366 900; Faculty of Science Media; +61 438 162 687, science.media@uq.edu.au.
