We all love Koala’s but would you be willing to slow down a bit on bushland roads to keep them alive? Is the the speed with which you complete your journey really worth the fauna carnage we see on roads in bushland areas? My general rule of thumb is don’t drive any faster than your reactions and brakes will stop you, if something were to appear on the road ahead of you, whether it be a koala, echidna, wallaby, livestock or kids! You could argue that its hard to avoid a wallaby leaping in front of your car and that excuse could have some merit, but Koala’s are not known for their speed and if you hit one, you are undoubtedly driving too fast for conditions. Perhaps not surprisingly even after road trauma Koalas are still not known for their fast get away’ s, so there’s not much of an excuse for driving off and leaving an injured Koala to suffer on the road…
… So just before Christmas we were ambulance for a Koala who had just been hit at the intersection of Reesville and Corks Pocket Road, Reesville and left to fend for herself. When we found her, she was limping to the side of road crying in pain like a baby. Karen wrapped her in a blanket* and we took her to the Wildlife Hospital at Beerwah. Unfortunately, this 10-year-old female was too badly injured from that mornings collision and was euthanased. She had already suffered a break to her other leg (from a previous hit and run?) and that had healed badly. Sadly, back in Reesville her companion called for her for the rest of the day from the roadside trees they were feeding from.
Koalas are surviving in remnant bushland areas on the hinterland in ok (I’d hesitate to say good) numbers while their population has generally crashed throughout SE QLD. As hinterlanders we can take pride in this survival and the wild areas that we live adjacent to. We can also ensure the survival of Koalas by driving safely on bushland roads in areas such as Reesville, Witta, Montville, Flaxton and Mapleton. You can do this by slowing down and driving to suit conditions and keeping your eyes out for wildlife on the road – it’s their home too.
Time to get down of my high horse (I suffer from terrible vertigo) and end with a joke. “Why did the Koala cross the road?”. “To get to the other side”. It really is that simple.
* Wild animals are potentially dangerous, especially when injured. Please call the Wildlife Volunteers Association Inc on 5441 6200 if you accidentally cause injury to, or come across a native animal that requires assistance.
