If you see a sick or injured koala, call the RSPCA on 1300 ANIMAL (1300 264 625) or Wildcare on 075527 2444. They operate 24 hours a day.

The koala is one of Australia's best known and most loveable native animals.

The Koala's scientific name is Phascolarctos cinereus. This means leather pouch and a bear and ashen grey in colour, but Koalas are not bears. They are large herbivorous marsupials that are well adapted to living in trees.

The koala is listed as endangered in Queensland, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory under the Federal Government’s Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

Under Queensland’s Nature Conservation Act 1992 the koala is listed as endangered.

About Koalas in Logan

In Queensland, koalas weigh between 5 to 10 kilograms and have short pale grey fur.

Koalas are difficult to see. If you go searching for koalas in Logan, look for these signs that show a koala might be in the area:

• look for scratch marks on trees, these may also be from goannas or possums
• Koala scats (poo) around the base of trees (They are bullet-shaped and smell of eucalyptus if they are fresh). To learn how to identify koala scat, please visit What scat is that?
• listen for the bellow of the male koala during breeding season (To hear a male koala, please visit YouTube - Koala mating call at Taronga.

Koalas have been sighted in many parks in the City including, but not limited to:

• Daisy Hill Conservation Park, Daisy Hill
• Springwood Conservation Park, Springwood
• Meakin Park / Slacks Creek Environmental Park, Slacks Creek
• Alexander Clark Park, Loganholme
• Alexander Watt Park, Bannockburn
• Wuruga Reserve, Beenleigh
• Quinzeh Creek Gravel Reserve, Logan Village
• Jerry’s Downfall, Park Ridge South
• Wearing Park, Munruben
• Flesser Reserve, Park Ridge South
• Birnam Range Reserve, Jimbomba
• Baker Reserve, South Maclean
• Spring Mountain Forest Park, Greenbank.

We have used trained koala scat detection dogs to search some parks in Logan to learn about where Koalas live. The Atlas of Living Australia has the results of these searches.

The peak koala breeding season in South East Queensland runs from July to January. During this period, koalas move around more. Young males seek their own home range and breeding adults search for a mate.

Koalas generally live for about 10 to 14 years in the wild. In urban areas their life span can be reduced due to loss of suitable habitat and threats from dogs, cars and disease.

For more information about koalas, please visit Queensland Government - Koala. 

How you can help Koalas

Koalas face continued threats to their population because of human settlement and urban expansion. You can help protect our koalas in the following ways:

• Watch the YouTube video of local koala carer Samantha Longman explaining five actions you can take to help keep Logan koalas safe.
• Watch this fantastic webinar, to learn more about how to see and survey koalas, featuring University of Queensland koala expert Dr Sean Fitzgibbon and produced by Wildlife Queensland and Logan City Council. Webinar questions and answers can be found on the Wildlife Queesland website.
• Report sightings or evidence of koalas through the iNaturalist website, Council’s wildlife sightings form or call us on 07 3412 3412. We use this information to better manage and protect koalas.
• Tell your neighbours when you spot a koala in your street or suburb, to help spread awareness in your community.
• Know the signs of a sick or injured koala. If a koala has any of the following signs it may be sick or injured:
  • inflamed eyes
  • red, puffy, crusty and/or weeping (conjunctivitis)
  • very dirty or wet bottom (cystitis)
  • signs of injury such as cuts and blood
  • very skinny
  • not using all four limbs when climbing or walking
  • staying in a tree for more than a couple of days
  • sitting at the base of a tree, too weak to climb.
• If you see a sick or injured koala, call the RSPCA on 1300 ANIMAL (1300 264 625) or Wildcare on 07 5527 2444. They operate 24 hours a day. You can save these numbers directly to your phone with our contact card (VCF 75 KB).
• Be aware of koalas and wildlife when driving, especially between the hours of 6:00pm and 6:00am and during breeding season (between June and December) when koalas are moving about more. Be careful around corners, crests and in areas with roadside vegetation. If you see wildlife on the road at night slow down, sound your horn and dim your lights.
• Make sure that your yard is koala safe, download our Koala friendly backyard diagram (PDF 29 MB) and follow these points:
  • place an escape ramp / rope in the pool to prevent koalas drowning
  • place a post against the fence so koalas have a safe route out of your yard or garden
  • plant koala friendly trees in your backyard if you have enough room, see Wildlife-safe Backyards for information about how to make your backyard more koala friendly.
• Get involved in our programs and events held throughout the year to support koala conservation. To learn more, see Environmental events.

Koalas and dogs are not best friends

Between August and January koalas are on the move for breeding season, increasing their risk of dog attacks. As a dog owner, here are a few simple actions to help keep koalas and dogs safe:

• always walk your dog on a leash, unless in a designated off-leash area
• keep your dog inside or enclosed in a section of the yard at night when koalas are more active
• train your dog in wildlife aversion. To find information about training your dog, visit Leave It
• move your dog out of sight if you see a koala and give them a chance to move on. Dogs can feel threatened and might react unexpectedly when a koala moves through their yard
• notify neighbours and Council of koala sightings in your area.

How are we helping Koalas in Logan City?

Our goal is to protect and increase the Koala population in the City of Logan.

The City of Logan Koala Conservation Strategic Plan 2013 to 2023 (PDF 1.5 MB) lists actions to improve the status of koalas in Logan. 

Some actions in this plan include:

• Protecting and increasing koala habitat, including the acquisition of Bahrs Hill Park, Bahrs Scrub and Spring Mountain Forest Park South, Greenbank.
• Creating the following Koala Nature Refuges
  • Cornubia Forest, Cornubia
  • Leslie Parade Park, Slacks Creek
  • Henderson Reserve, Jimboomba
  • Murrays Environmental Reserve, Tanah Merah
  • Berrinba Wetlands, Browns Plains.
• Increasing knowledge of koalas by hosting environmental events. These events include tree plantings, educational talks and conservation walks
• Raising community awareness of koala movement during koala breeding season through the Wildlife Awareness Campaign. The campaign includes roadside banners, park information signage, digital posters and radio advertisement.
• Supporting koala carers through the EnviroGrants program. To find more information about koala carers, watch the YouTube video.
• Working with land owners to keep or plant more koala friendly vegetation. See Environmental Conservation Partnerships for information about how we help land owners do this.
• Undertake koala sightings counts.

2020 Koala Survey Results 

Our 2020 Koala Awareness Survey attracted 189 responses. 

Survey results found that since our first survey in 2011 our Koala Conservation Strategic Plan 2013 to 2023 has improved the community's knowledge and awareness of koala conservation. 

Key survey findings were:

• 21 percent of respondents showed a high level of knowledge about koalas (up from 12 percent in the 2011 to 2012 survey)
• 44 percent of respondents have reported a koala sighting (up from 15 percent in the 2011 to 2012)
• 79 percent of respondents said they know what to do if they find a sick, injured or dead koala (up from 63 percent in 2011 to 2012) - they would contact an organisation like RSPCA, Wildcare or a vet
• respondents also gave positive feedback about:
  • participating in community activities
  • having more opportunities for community involvement and education
• respondents also showed:
  • concern for the wellbeing of koalas
  • support for implementing stronger koala and wildlife protection and habitat actions from all levels of government.

The results from the survey will inform how Council implements and advocates future koala conservation actions and programs to protect and support the conservation of koalas and their habitat.