Male koalas are on the move and looking for love, as the koala breeding season begins in the Toowoomba Region. September through to February is the local koala breeding season and during this time, koalas in search for prospective mates can be seen in unexpected areas and are likely to be found crossing roads at unusual times of the day and night, entering people’s back yards and getting caught in dangerous situations. With this increased movement comes the higher risk of car trauma and dog attacks.
Increased koala movement during this time, is a natural part of the koala life cycle but due to increasing fragmentation of habitat, koalas often end up travelling along the ground and walking longer distances more than usual to find the next suitable habitat or mate. In the greater Toowoomba Region, there are now more people now living in koala habitat areas and they are a lot more likely to encounter each other during this time. It is during this time is also when we see young juvenile koalas leaving their mothers and having their own independence, migrating into new and unfamiliar territories looking for their own place to live as they explore new areas. With this greater movement of young inexperienced koala populations, the public need to take care by making sure that their yards are koala friendly and keeping pets inside at night and abiding to speed limits on the roads and taking notice of wildlife crossing and awareness signs in areas where koalas are known to frequent. Toowoomba Koala and Wildlife Rescue are urging the community to be mindful of the increase in koala activity during this time to make sure that no more koala lives are lost while looking for love. Should you find a sick, injured or orphaned koala in the Greater Toowoomba Region, please phone 0458 155 177 or the RSPCA on 1300 264 625 |
AuthorJudi Gray - Toowoomba Koala and Wildlife Rescue Archives
July 2023
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