National Threatened Species Day: Could the koala be next?

Australia is losing an average of four native species every decade. This National Threatened Species Day, we’re looking at what this means for koalas and how the numbat proves recovery is still possible.

National Threatened Species Day is held every year on 7 September, marking the date the last known Tasmanian tiger died in captivity in 1936.

It’s a day to remember the native species we have already lost and consider what we must do to protect those still fighting for survival.

Today, Australia is facing one of the most serious extinction crises on the planet.

According to a recent BBC report, Australia is losing an average of four native species every decade, while more than 2,000 plants, animals and ecological communities are listed as threatened.

Behind every statistic is an animal losing the food, shelter and habitat it needs to survive.

Could the koala be next?

Few animals are more unmistakably Australian than the koala. But being one of our most recognised and loved native animals has not been enough to keep it safe.

Koalas are now listed as endangered across Queensland, New South Wales and the ACT.

Habitat loss and fragmentation, disease, bushfires, climate change and vehicle strikes are placing growing pressure on wild populations.

Koalas depend on healthy eucalyptus forests for their food, shelter and safe movement through the landscape. When these forests are cleared or divided by roads and development, koalas are forced to travel further and spend more time on the ground.

Protecting koala habitat also protects the homes of countless other native animals, including possums, gliders, birds and reptiles.

Saving the koala means protecting an entire ecosystem.

One little marsupial is giving us hope

The numbat was once found across much of southern Australia. Habitat loss and introduced predators such as foxes and cats caused its population to fall to only a few hundred animals.

But after decades of dedicated conservation work, numbat numbers are beginning to recover.

Breeding programs, predator control, protected habitats and carefully managed releases have helped give this endangered marsupial a fighting chance.

Its recovery remains fragile, but the numbat proves that extinction is not inevitable.

When threatened animals are protected and given safe places to live, we can change their future.

Rescue is only the beginning

Rescuing and rehabilitating an injured or orphaned native animal is an incredible achievement. But recovery is only one part of its journey.

Before an animal can be released, it needs suitable habitat with access to food, protection from predators and somewhere safe to shelter.

For many Australian animals, that shelter is found inside tree hollows. These hollows can take more than 100 years to form, so they cannot be quickly replaced when mature trees are cleared or damaged.

Without enough natural hollows, rehabilitated animals can be returned to environments where there simply aren’t enough safe homes.

Creating long-term homes with Wildlife SEQ

Wildlife SEQ is preparing to install high-quality, long-life habitat boxes for multiple native species across South East Queensland.

The project marks a major shift in the organisation’s approach to releasing rehabilitated wildlife. It will allow Wildlife SEQ to support animals beyond their immediate release by helping create safe habitat they can continue to rely on.

Wildlife SEQ has also secured support from Seqwater, giving the organisation access to land managed by Seqwater in Queensland for wildlife releases and habitat-box installation.

This is a huge step forward.

These boxes will provide shelter for rehabilitated animals returning to the wild, while also creating homes for wildlife already living in the surrounding areas.

Their impact won’t end with a single release. They will continue supporting native animals for years to come.

There is still time to change the story

National Threatened Species Day reminds us of what Australia has already lost but it should also remind us of what we can still save.

The numbat shows us that dedicated conservation can bring a species back from the brink. Wildlife SEQ’s upcoming habitat-box project will help put that same hope into action for wildlife across South East Queensland.

This Save the Koala Month, we’re aiming to raise $15,000 for koalas and native wildlife, including the vital work of Wildlife SEQ.

Because rescuing wildlife is only the beginning.

They also need somewhere safe to come home to.