Fisherman's unusual find highlights 'sad' crisis unfolding for iconic Aussie species

Yahoo

2 days ago

A fisherman's unusual find while trekking to his favourite spot early one morning last week has highlighted the 'sad' crisis plaguing one of Australia's most iconic species in one part of the country.
The man was climbing on rocks near the shoreline of Wategos Beach in Byron Bay around 6am on Friday when he was suddenly greeted by a pensive three-year-old male koala staring out to sea. Fearing for its health and safety, the fisher called local rescuers for help.
Richard Nicholas, from Friends of the Koala, and Mark Badgery with WIRES quickly arrived at the scene to asses and wrangle the marsupial, which was wet, cold and underweight. It's understood misadventure had left the koala stranded on the rocks for some time.
'We have been told by other fishermen in the area that he had been in the ocean and swallowed some sea water, which isn't good for them,' Richard told ABC North Coast, adding the koala 'didn't put up a struggle' and seemed 'relieved' that the rescuers were coming to his aid.
An assessment of the young male, now nicknamed Little Watego, revealed he had signs of seawater ingestion and trauma to his sternum, Friends of the Koalas posted online. The animal is now recovering at Northern Rivers Koala Hospital in Lismore.
Byron coastal koalas are under an 'enormous amount of stress'
The incident, which has been described as 'another reminder of the unpredictable nature of wildlife rescue', is also symbolic of the 'enormous' crisis koalas are facing in northern NSW, Linda Sparrow, president of Bangalow Koalas, told Yahoo News.
'The fact that you have a young, three-year-old male koala sitting on the rocks at Wategos Beach looking for somewhere to go just shows you how much stress Byron's koala population is under,' she said, placing the blame on overdevelopment, habitat loss, dog attacks and car strikes.
With not enough trees to support the local population, koalas are getting themselves into danger and crossing busy roads in search of a new home, Linda added, noting that the young male may have been booted from his turf after mating season began at the start of the month.
'If we don't do something about it sooner rather than later we're going to lose the koalas along the coastal strip in Byron Bay.'
Sadly, koalas are listed as endangered in Queensland, NSW and the ACT. Since European colonisation, their habitat has been devastated, with approximately 29 million hectares (54 per cent) of forests and woodlands destroyed in NSW alone. Combined with road trauma, their numbers continue to dwindle.
The Northern Rivers region has borne the brunt of this destruction, but thanks to passionate conservationists like Linda, hope is sprouting. The president of Bangalow Koalas is leading efforts to reverse the damage and — in collaboration with local volunteers and organisations like WWF — has spearheaded the replanting of more than 459,000 trees across more than 100 properties in the region, creating a critical lifeline for koalas.
Speaking to Yahoo, Linda said her ultimate goal is to establish a 'koala wildlife corridor' — an interconnected network of habitats where koalas can roam freely and safely, far from the threat of humans. She's on a mission to plant a total of 500,000 trees by the end of this year.
Anybody who wishes to donate to the efforts can do so here. People are more than welcome to join the efforts on the ground, too, Linda said, encouraging landowners to contact the nonprofit if they're interested in participating.
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Council warns drivers as koala mating season gets underway
The Byron Shire Council recently issued a warning to drivers to be careful on the roads as the marsupials venture out to find a mate.
New and temporary electronic message boards urging motorists to keep a lookout for koalas have been installed on Hinterland Way, just outside Bangalow, which is a hotspot for activity, the council announced at the start of the month. They were funded by a $65,000 grant from the NSW Government.
'Between 2019 and 2025, 18 koalas died on the Hinterland Way, just outside Bangalow, so we are hoping the temporary lights will give drivers more of a chance to see them and avoid them,' Liz Caddick, the council's biodiversity team leader, said.
'We are very grateful to the NSW Government for providing funding for the lights and message boards.'
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