AFTER two postponements because of high winds, a small band of eighteen volunteers finally completed the fifth, and final, National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) koala survey of Bongil Bongil National Park for this year on the night of October 30.

The conditions were perfect for a night walk in the forest, with warm, calm conditions and a fat, yellow moon slowly rising from the north east horizon through the trees.

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During the surveys, groups walk 1.5 kilometre tracks and return, while stopping at designated ‘audio points’ to play a male koala mating call then listen for responses.

“The surveys are really important for several reasons,” said Glenn Storrie, Manager, National Parks and Wildlife Service, Coffs Harbour.

“They allow for checks on the koala population in Bongil Bongil National Park.

“We’ve found that, over the course of eleven years, there is a healthy population of koalas distributed across the whole of the park.

“The other important aspect is citizen science in which local community members can learn about koalas, assist in monitoring them and participate in the conservation of koalas.

“I want to acknowledge the work of more than 300 volunteers over the last eleven years.

“It is very pleasing that so many people are willing to give up their time to help conserve koalas,” Mr Storrie said.
One group of volunteers did not see a koala but reported hearing one right at the end of their walk.

The three-person group found plenty of other interesting wildlife during their walk, including an echidna, two bandicoots, five great barred frogs and a striped marsh frog.

They also saw fluttering microbats hunting in their torch beams for darting insects, a spider that looked suspiciously like a funnel web, and heard a couple of sugar gliders ‘yapping’.

In another group, a new volunteer was thrilled to spot a small koala barely off its mother’s back.

A third group heard a very loud male calling in response to their audio call, then turned on the spotlights and found him glaring at them from a nearby tree.

Interesting facts to emerge from this year’s surveys include koalas being once again seen right across the park, with strong evidence of recent successful breeding found on two tracks.

Tallowwood was once again the species of tree most likely to house a Bongil Bongil koala

A sick male koala, likely suffering from chlamydia (wet bottom) and blind in one eye, was seen on a track on the park boundary.

This was a first for the survey program, and a worrying sign the NPWS staff will closely monitor over coming months.

Over ten years a total of six koalas have been recorded as seen on Gordons Road, while this survey season five koalas were seen there, almost doubling the figure in a single year’s surveying.

During this year’s survey eleven koalas were seen and 26 heard over the five nights of surveying, making a total of 37 koala records.

This is only two koala records shy of the biggest ever year in 2016 when teams recorded 39 koalas.

By Andrew VIVIAN