Abundant koala populations have been recorded between Morton to Bungonia which were ravaged by the Black Summer bushfires, proving the resilience of the bush and native species.
Close to 5,000 koala bellows have been recorded during a survey stretching over 4,000 hectares between Marulan and Kangaroo Valley.
The distinctive male koala bellow is a deep, guttural ‘snore’ and is heard loud and clear from mating male koalas above the cacophony of nighttime bush noises.
More than 115 tiny box-shaped sound recorders were strapped to trees at sites during the last breeding season, capturing the sounds of the bush every night for two weeks. Koala bellows were detected up to about 200 metres away.
With the help of AI, 19,000 hours of recordings identified 4,991 bellows across 43 sites in Morton National Park, and on some neighbouring private properties. One site recorded the sounds of male koalas 19 out of 21 nights.
As the largest and most comprehensive koala survey undertaken in the area, the data confirms the presence of koalas and will be an invaluable baseline for future research work.
The project received funding from the Australian Government Saving Koalas Fund and was jointly delivered by experts from the NSW Government’s Local Land Services and the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.
The NSW Government has recently expanded Morton National Park, with the addition of 380 hectares of prime koala habitat.
This new parcel of land offers greater protection to a range of threatened species in the region such as the brush-tailed rock wallaby, glossy black cockatoos and the spotted-tailed quoll.
National Parks will introduce fire management practices, weed and feral animal control, and threatened species conservation. This will further strengthen wildlife populations and improve the landscape’s resilience to climate change, fires and drought.
