Drones Detect Endangered Koalas in Australia’s Waulinbakh Wildlife Sanctuary

Thermal UAV Surveys Confirm Vital Koala Habitat, Marking a Conservation Milestone in MidCoast NSW

by DRONELIFE Staff Writer Ian J. McNabb

Researchers working in Australia’s new Waulinbakh Wildlife Sanctuary, located three hours from Sydney on the traditional land of the Worimi people, recently discovered the presence of a young Koala joey cuddling with its mother in the treetops with help from UAVs, proving the presence of the shy, high-altitude marsupial in the massive managed estate for the first time. 

The discovery was made with the help of a thermal drone which was funded by MidCoast Council with a grant from the NSW Koala Strategy, and deployed to ascertain the presence of the tree-dwelling species across the 4,000-hectare conservation area. 

Koala Habitat Drone Survey

Acquired in 2022 as part of a conservation agreement with philanthropists and long-time AWC supporters Andrew and Jane Clifford to manage a private estate, scientists estimate the Waulinbakh Wildlife Sanctuary is home to more than 300 different vertebrate species. Since the acquisition, opportunistic Koala sightings have been recorded by AWC ecologists, but they had yet to get close enough to deduce the extent of Koala presence across the sanctuary. 

A combination of acoustic surveying and UAVs made it possible to confirm the presence of the highly vulnerable population, which has suffered since widespread wildfires destroyed much of its habitat over the last few years. 

Andy Howe, AWC Senior Field Ecologist, described the drone survey as successful, saying it reiterates the importance of preserving the sanctuary for wildlife conservation. 

“Encountering 10 Koalas is a great result,” said Andy. “It indicates that the Koala population at Waulinbakh Wildlife Sanctuary is robust, giving us a great platform to work from and emphasising the site’s significance as a critical refuge for the endangered species in the region.” 

“We had an idea of where to search for Koalas based on early results from a bioacoustics survey we conducted at the sanctuary last year,” explained Andy. “At the time, we had high Koala calling rates in two areas within the central and north-east corner of the sanctuary.

“From the drone footage we were able ascertain that all Koalas looked healthy. They had full and uniform coats of grey and bright white fur, no clouding or discharge in the eyes from conjunctivitis and no staining on the rump from chlamydia – a great sign!” 

“Council is thrilled with the results of the recent koala surveys at Waulinbakh Wildlife Sanctuary,” said Gerard Tuckerman, Manager of Natural Systems at MidCoast Council.

“Australian Wildlife Conservancy does vital work to conserve Australia’s natural heritage, including working at the frontline to transition land with a long-term logging history into a koala safe space. Having an Australian Wildlife Conservancy sanctuary here on the MidCoast contributes significantly to local conservation. We look forward to working with the organisation to learn more about the plant and animal diversity on their land and to help protect the environment.”  

More information on the Waulinbakh preserve is available here. 

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