Sydney is home to iconic creatures such as koalas, platypuses, and sugar gliders. However, these remarkable species are facing challenges amidst rapid suburban expansion.
On today’s This Arvo In Sydney, host Sacha Barbour Gatt and LiSTNR journalist Loren Howarth spoke about the current situation and the ways we can safeguard and conserve our beloved furry friends.
Click the link below and listen to the full episode:
Howarth said koalas, the national symbol of Australia’s unique wildlife, could become extinct in New South Wales by 2050.
Koalas face multiple challenges, including climate change, bushfires, and the loss of their natural habitats due to urban sprawl.
Howarth shared a glimmer of hope, revealing that a thriving population of koalas has been discovered in Sydney’s southwest. It is also the only population in the Sydney Basin that is chlamydia free.
Saul Deane, an expert from the Total Environment Center, said that the koala colony in Campbelltown had been growing and thriving.
Those koalas have been slowly building up their numbers and since the 1980s have actually started to move back and recolonise the areas that they used to live in, and they continue to do so.”
Through thermal drones and sniffer dogs, dozens of koalas have been recently detected in the northwest region of the state, marking a significant increase compared to the mere five koalas found in the same area in the past 70 years.
Koalas are not the only animals struggling with their living conditions. Sugar gliders also face multiple threats, particularly in Western Sydney.
The two major issues affecting sugar gliders in this area are habitat destruction and fragmentation.
David Jones, Conservation Volunteers Australia, said that ensuring the habitat connectivity between patches where sugar gliders live would be crucial.
With urbanisation and development in Western Sydney in particular, there are a number of barriers now preventing sugar gliders from travelling like they once did.”
Hosted by Sacha Barbour, This Arvo in Sydney is a 10 to 12 minute daily news podcast made just for Sydney! Listen now on the Listnr app.