New study finds that koalas spend 10 minutes a day in this deadly spot
A new study has revealed that two thirds of the 10 recorded koalas die during the brief period they spend on the ground.
Although the recorded koalas only spent about 10 minutes on the ground each day, two-thirds of them died in that tiny amount of time—usually from vehicle collisions or dog attacks.
The research was led by the University of Queensland PhD student, Gabriella Sparkes, who explained, 'Koalas are mostly tree-dwelling, but due to extensive land clearing, they're increasingly forced to travel on the ground, which puts them at a serious risk of injury and death.'
The koalas–an endangered species in Australia–were fitted with GPS collars to monitor their movements, and it was revealed that the marsupials spent just 1% of their daily life on the ground–that's alongside the 20 hours usually reserved for sleep.
Researchers behind the study are now pushing for conservation efforts to aim primarily at reducing the amount of time that koalas need to spend on the ground.
Sparkes added, 'If we can identify the kinds of trees or habitat conditions that encourage koalas to remain in trees for longer, we may be able to design or manage landscapes in ways that reduce the need for ground travel.'
Even though koalas are only on the ground for about 10 minutes a day, experts have found that those few minutes are by far the most deadly.
A new study has revealed that two-thirds of koalas died during the brief period they spend on the ground, although the ten recorded koalas only spent about 10 minutes on the ground each day, two-thirds of them died from vehicle collisions or dog attacks.
The research was led by the University of Queensland.
And PhD student Gabriella Sparks, who explained koalas are mostly tree-dwelling, but due to extensive land clearing, they're increasingly forced to travel on the ground, which puts them at a serious risk of injury and death.
The koalas, an endangered species in Australia, were fitted with GPS collars to monitor their movements, and it was revealed that the marsupials spent just one percent of their daily life on the ground, that's along the 20 hours usually reserved for sleep.
Researchers behind the study are now pushing for conservation efforts to aim primarily at reducing the amount of time that koalas need to spend on the ground.
Sparks added, if we can identify the kinds of trees or habitat conditions that encourage koalas to remain in trees for longer, we may be able to design or manage landscapes in ways that reduce the need for ground travel.
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