Koalas are one of Australia’s most loved native species, however their numbers keep on dropping. Scientists and conservationists are now taking to the sky, using high-tech drones to get an accurate koala count.
The tree-climbing marsupials were hit hard by the country’s recent devastating wildfires. Thousands were killed as flames ravaged large swaths of forest and bushland.
Habitat destruction and climate change are also pushing the species to the brink of extinction.
Volunteer trackers like Sue Gay and Kate Banister are helping scientists count the koalas’ dwindling population. When looking for the marsupial, the pair usually scour bushland and forest by foot. But lately they’ve been getting help from experienced drone pilots like Douglas Thron, who specializes in infrared technology.
“You fly the drone over and area and you do it while the ground is cooler, and then the heat of the animal pops up and you can see the shape of the koala,” Thron explains.
Koalas live in tall eucalyptus trees and are notoriously difficult to find. The infrared camera makes it easier to spot them.
“Drones are the next-level way of quickly finding koalas across hectares of bush,” says Stuart Blanch, Senior Manager of Land clearing and restoration at the World Wildlife Fund in Australia.
In some regions of the country, more than 30 per cent of the koala population was wiped out. Even before the fires, the species was considered to be on the brink of extinction.
Koalas are extremely vulnerable to deforestation and climate change, but with the help of thermal drones, conservationists hope to get a more accurate tally of how many koalas are left.
That data will be used to lobby the Australian government for better habitat protection.
“It helps us to ask or campaign the government, don’t allow forests to be bulldozed or chopped down because that’s the number one threat at the moment,” Blanch explains.
Without improved protection measures, scientists estimate Australia’s beloved koala could be extinct by 2050.
