Kookie the koala was orphaned in September 2022 when a car fatally hit her mother but Kookie’s life was saved after she was taken to the Friends of the Koala’s (FoK) Northern Rivers Koala Hospital in Lismore.
‘Although Kookie was protected by her mum’s pouch, she still suffered from internal bleeding but recovered well under the care of the expert vet team and volunteers and in March 2023 she was released back into the wild,’ said a spokesperson for International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) who have been supporting FoK vets.
Kookie was recently spotted in the wild carrying her own Joey.
Every koala that’s released back into the wild gives us hope for the future of the species,” IFAW Wildlife Campaign Manager Josey Sharrad said.
‘To see Kookie carrying a joey, less than two years after losing her own mum, is incredibly exciting given koalas in NSW are endangered and at risk of being extinct by 2050.’
Breeding season
The koala breeding season has begun and runs from June through to December. This means that koalas are on the move looking to mate and find new territory and FoK and IFAW are reminding locals and visitors to slow down and look out for koalas on the roads.
‘Friends of the Koala has seen a significant increase in the number of koalas being injured and killed as a result of car strikes. As humans continue to encroach on koala habitat, koalas have nowhere to go, forcing them onto roads where they are at risk of collisions with cars,’ said a spokesperson for IFAW.
Veterinary Clinical and Research Director, Dr Jodie Wakeman said, ‘In the last year we have seen a 15 per cent increase in the amount of koalas injured or killed as a result of car strike. Between May 2023 and May 2024 we received reports of 71 koalas who were hit by vehicles, of which only 13 were able to be rehabilitated and released back to the wild. Unfortunately, 80 per cent of koalas hit by vehicles last year did not survive the impact.’
Wildlife rescue app
You never know when you might hit a koala or other animal on the roads and visitors and locals are being asked to download the IFAW Wildlife Rescue App. The app puts people directly in touch with the nearest wildlife rescue group to report an injured animal. The user will then be guided on the best way to help support the injured animal, saving lives. The app aims to reduce stress and confusion by giving users all the information they need at their fingertips – empowering them to save lives.
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