Decline of the urban koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) population in Warringah Shire, Sydney

Abstract

The koala population in Warringah Shire has declined over the last 50yr with increasing urbanization. They now occur only at Barrenjoey Peninsula, Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park and, possibly, Davidson Park State Recreation Area. The colony on the Peninsula has declined from 123+ koalas in 1970 to about eight koalas in 1989. The remaining koalas appear to use several bushland reserves as refuges. The chief threats to continued survival of the Peninsula's koala colony are further loss of habitat, and further mortality from dogs, motor vehicles and the disease chlamydiosis. -from Authors