The Golden Children – establishing a koala insurance population for Australia

Under direction from the Minister for Environment and Water, International Koala Centre of Excellence (IKCE) will manage and develop the so-called Captive Managed Disease Free (CMDF). A collaboration with Cleland Wildlife Park (CPW) and Hanson Bay Wildlife Sanctuary (HBWS) will also seek to increase the genetic variability of the captive population and secure its disease-free status thus ensuring a viable managed population is sustained at CWP, HBWS and eventually in appropriate Institutes around Australia. 

Prior to January 2020 the region around Hanson Bay Wildlife Sanctuary was home to thousands of koalas. The fires almost eliminated the koala population there. The entire region was burnt.   At present only 42 animals survive there. It will take the surviving trees at least 3-5 years to recover sufficiently to support animals. Therefore, the Cleland koala colony represents the best opportunity for potential 'rewilding’ in the region.