Australia urges citizens to assist in counting its iconic koalas
Australia's national science agency is urging citizens to document their koala sightings in order to obtain the most precise national population count of this iconic marsupial.
TroibNews 
Australia's national science organization, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), has urged residents to log their koala encounters. By using the Koala Spotter mobile app, citizens can contribute to what aims to be the most precise count of the species across the nation.
Previously, in 2022, the koala was declared endangered in the eastern coastal regions of New South Wales (NSW), Queensland, and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) by the federal government due to threats such as habitat destruction from land clearance and mining, diseases, and increasing incidents of drought and wildfires.
In response, the government allotted 10 million Australian dollars (about $6.5 million) to the National Koala Monitoring Program (NKMP) led by CSIRO in September 2022. This four-year funding initiative is designed to accurately assess the koala population to enhance conservation and management initiatives.
Andrew Hoskins, a Quantitative Biologist with CSIRO, emphasized the diverse techniques required for an accurate koala count. "To count the species, scientists have been using thermal drones to spot koalas from above, deploying acoustic recorders in the field and detection dogs, conducting scat analysis, while also carrying out systematic visual surveys and data integration from previous and historic sources," he stated during a media release. He advocated for both public and scientific collaboration to achieve the most accurate population estimate thus far.
Camille Lefevre for TROIB News
Previously, in 2022, the koala was declared endangered in the eastern coastal regions of New South Wales (NSW), Queensland, and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) by the federal government due to threats such as habitat destruction from land clearance and mining, diseases, and increasing incidents of drought and wildfires.
In response, the government allotted 10 million Australian dollars (about $6.5 million) to the National Koala Monitoring Program (NKMP) led by CSIRO in September 2022. This four-year funding initiative is designed to accurately assess the koala population to enhance conservation and management initiatives.
Andrew Hoskins, a Quantitative Biologist with CSIRO, emphasized the diverse techniques required for an accurate koala count. "To count the species, scientists have been using thermal drones to spot koalas from above, deploying acoustic recorders in the field and detection dogs, conducting scat analysis, while also carrying out systematic visual surveys and data integration from previous and historic sources," he stated during a media release. He advocated for both public and scientific collaboration to achieve the most accurate population estimate thus far.
Camille Lefevre for TROIB News
