Original story by Greg Stolz, The Courier Mail
A LEADING wildlife vet says new State Government funding to help save Queensland’s critically endangered koalas is only a “band-aid”.
Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary head vet Dr Michael Pyne says more funding is needed to save Queensland’s koalas from illness and loss of habitat. Photo: News Limited
Premier Campbell Newman visited the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary animal hospital on the Gold Coast on Wednesday to announce the next round of $800,000 in funding for koala rescue groups.
Sanctuary head vet Dr Michael Pyne said while the money was “a step in the right direction”, much more was needed to save koalas from illness and habitat loss.
Dr Pyne said the wildlife hospital took in 300 wild koalas last year compared to less than 30 in 2007.
“It’s really frightening – we’ve got to be able to turn that around or there just won’t be any koalas left,’ he said.
“We really don’t have that much time. It’s reached that point where the young koalas are getting sick now (from diseases such as chlamydia).
“Koalas are under so much pressure – there’s just so much disease devastating them.
“Now is the time – we can’t wait any longer to try and save the local species.”
Mr Newman last year criticised the Federal Government for declaring koalas a threatened species, saying it was tying up Queensland in “green tape”.
Cuddling a koala and its joey at the wildlife hospital, he said he still maintained that position as the Queensland Government was protecting koalas with its $26.5 million Investing to Protect Koalas policy and koala habitat mapping.
“I can guarantee we are doing everything we can to protect them,” he said.
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