Federal government has officially listed koalas as ‘endangered’ along Australia's east coast to protect shrinking populations.
The Environment Minister, Sussan Ley, has accepted the recommendation of the threatened species scientific committee that the koala populations of Queensland, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory should have their conservation status listed as endangered, instead of vulnerable.
The University of Queensland has a range of experts available to offer expert comment on this development.
Dr Sean Fitzgibbon
Dr Sean FitzGibbon has been a wildlife researcher for 15 years, working on population monitoring and tracking of South East Queensland koala colonies. His research is aimed at enhancing the conservation of wildlife, through improved ecological understanding. Dr Fitzgibbon is part of The University of Queensland’s Koala Ecology Group, which conducts field, captive and laboratory-based projects, researching the physiology and behaviour of koalas in a range of environments across Queensland.
Contact: Dr Sean Fitzgibbon, Research Fellow, School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, Faculty of Science, s.fitzgibbon@uq.edu.au, +61 (0)401 336 066.
Dr Amber Gillett
Dr Amber Gillett is a wildlife veterinarian and in addition to her clinical work, is an integral part of numerous research projects through The University of Queensland’s Koala Ecology Group, working to improve conservation outcomes for koalas in Queensland and NSW. Dr Gillett has been a wildlife vet at Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital since 2006 and is well known for her specialty in the treatment and rehabilitation of koalas.
Contact: Dr Amber Gillett, Research Fellow, School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, Faculty of Science, a.gillett@uq.edu.au, +61 (0)409 345 760.
Dr Bill Ellis
Dr Bill Ellis is the founder of The University of Queensland’s Koala Ecology Group, which has monitored several koala colonies in Queensland for more than 15 years. He has undertaken long-term studies of koalas, including focussing on the impact of large infrastructure and development projects on free-ranging koalas and breeding groups. He has pioneered new techniques for investigating mating systems, determining diet preferences, understanding vocal interactions, and analysing spatial dynamics, among other aspects of koala biology.
Contact: Dr Bill Ellis, Research Fellow, School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, Faculty of Science, w.ellis@uq.edu.au, +61 (0)428 105 275.
