It’s not new news that Australia’s friend, the koala, is listed as an endangered species, due to the effects of things such as land-clearing, cars, dogs, feral cats, prolonged droughts, bushfires and disease. In fact, a parliamentary inquiry found they may be extinct in NSW by 2050 – a tragedy that conservation groups are working madly to help reverse. The latest, though, is that a new koala conservation centre is opening in south-west Sydney, backed by $5 million in funding.
The NSW Minister for Climate Change and the Environment, Penny Sharpe, announced the new koala care facility, which is set to open at the University of Sydney School of Veterinary Sciene’s Camden campus, to support koalas in the Macarthur region.
The funding is set to be distributed across several key areas, with $500,000 dedicated to securing expert assistance and wildlife rehabilitators. The remaining funds will focus on three main areas: koala rescue, rehabilitation and conservation. Plus, the initiative aims to introduce on-call vet care and advice, access to facilities, upgraded clinical equipment and biosecurity seclusion areas.
The new facility has been hailed as a “game changer” by Professor Jacqui Norris, Head of School and Dean, who says, “We want future generations to be able to step into bushland in south-western Sydney and see koalas in the wild.” Hear, hear.
If you want to help support koala conservation efforts, you can buy merch or donate at Save the Koala.
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