The federal government has officially classified koalas as “endangered” along the east coast of Australia to protect declining populations.
Environment Minister Sussan Ley has accepted the recommendation of the Endangered Species Scientific Committee that koala populations in Queensland, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory should see their conservation status listed as endangered, instead of vulnerable.
The University of Queensland has a range of experts available to offer expert commentary on this development.
Dr. Sean Fitzgibbon
Dr. Sean FitzGibbon was a wildlife researcher for 15 years, working on population monitoring and monitoring of koala colonies in southeast Queensland. His research aims to improve wildlife conservation through better ecological understanding. Dr Fitzgibbon is part of the Koala Ecology Group at the University of Queensland, which runs field, captive and laboratory projects researching the physiology and behavior 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 Gillet
Dr. Amber Gillet is a wildlife veterinarian and in addition to his clinical work, is integral to numerous research projects through the Koala Ecology Group at the University of Queensland, working to improve conservation outcomes for koalas in Queensland and New -South Wales. Dr Gillett has been a wildlife veterinarian 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, Researcher, School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, Faculty of Science, a.gillett@uq.edu.au, +61 (0)409 345 760.
Doctor Bill Ellis
Doctor Bill Ellis is the founder of the Koala Ecology Group at the University of Queensland, which has been monitoring several colonies of koalas in Queensland for over 15 years. He has undertaken long-term studies of koalas, including focusing on the impact of large infrastructure and development projects on free-ranging koalas and breeding groups. He pioneered new techniques to study mating systems, determine food preferences, understand vocal interactions, and analyze 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.
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