Each year September is Save the Koala Month, a time when the Brisbane-based Australia Koala Foundation does what it can to raise awareness of the plight of koalas.

While the species is not native to Western Australia, Caversham Wildlife Park is doing what it can to help.

Caversham Wildlife Park senior supervisor Chadd Banfield says normally the family-owned park runs fundraisers for Save the Koala Month, but not this year due to COVID-19 pandemic.

He says: “We are still actively sharing posts on Facebook and other social media … to ensure that we still spread the message that it’s Save the Koala Month, making sure it’s still in people’s minds.”

Mr Banfield continues that the best way to help support koalas is to go to the Australian Koala Foundation website.

He explains: “There is a lot of activities and things that you can get involved with.”

The Perth Zoo also has a breeding-for-conservation program and advertises on its website that concerned people can “adopt a koala” for $58-$159, however, a spokesperson for the Zoo said that due to resourcing they were unable to answer questions.

Mr Banfield believes that while koala’s are not from WA, the koalas in WA wildlife parks are still iconic tourist attractions.

He says: “It is also an ambassador for Australian native animals in general.”   

However, there are challenges to conserving koala in the wild. Mr Banfield says one of the biggest challenges is replacing the habitat that has been lost over many years on the east coast of Australia.

The work being done includes planting trees and conserving the remaining habitat, so that koalas have got somewhere to live in the future.

Location of Caversham Wildlife Park