Koala breeding season

Did you know that koalas are on the move from August to February for breeding season?

Our precious marsupials usually descend from the comforts of their home in the gumtrees in search of a mate this time of year, and they may happen to stumble across the road, or your backyard!

Handsome Flinder the koala was rescued after being hit by a car on Stradbroke Island.

Our RSPCA Wildlife Hospital in Wacol has seen a spike in injured koalas coming through the doors this year, with 49 koalas admitted in July. Koalas are on the move right across southeast Queensland, and our veterinary teams have treated koalas from Beaudesert, Logan, Mt Gravatt, Moreton Bay and Strathpine in just one week.

This koala above is Bear Grylls, who was hit by a car in Logan and got caught under the car’s grill.

If you hit any wildlife with your vehicle, Bear’s story is a reminder to pull over and thoroughly check your car to ensure they haven’t become stuck in your vehicle.

Koalas require specialised rescue when they are found sick or injured, so it’s important to call for expert wildlife rescuers to protect not only yourself from a koala’s teeth and claws, but also to prevent further injury to the koala.

• If you're on a highway, contact Main Roads on 131 940.
• If you're on other roads, you can pull your car over at a safe location and put your hazard lights on.
• Call for help immediately – either the RSPCA’s 1300 ANIMAL (264 625) from 7am to 7pm daily, or your local wildlife rescue group.
• If safe to do so, you can alert oncoming traffic to slow down, but do not put yourself at risk on the road.
• Usher the koala off the road if safe to do so, and keep an eye on it until help arrives.

If you have dogs, it’s important to note that koalas often become victims of dog attacks when they descend from the trees and wander through your backyard.

As koalas are more active at dawn and dusk, please ensure your dog is either inside or secure on your property at these times to help protect our koalas.

You may also want to assess your backyard to ensure that any wildlife that can get into your yard doesn’t become trapped in the process. For koalas, ensuring they can climb over any fencing materials, or a gate or space where they could crawl back out.

This is Orthello the koala (above) at the RSPCA Wildlife Hospital who was sadly attacked by two dogs and is now receiving veterinary care.

Found a sick or injured animal? Call our 1300 ANIMAL (264 625) hotline for assistance.