A Koala Comeback: The Riverina’s Conservation Success Story

Every koala you spot in Narrandera’s Flora and Fauna Reserve is part of one of Australia’s great conservation success stories. Today, more than 300 koalas call the reserve home. They’re thriving in the river red gum forests along the Murrumbidgee River: healthy, genetically diverse, and free from the chlamydia plaguing their less-fortunate cousins.

Wildlife researcher and veterinarian, Dr Joanne Connolly, joined us to explain how Narrandera’s remarkable koala colony came to be, the science behind its ongoing monitoring, and why it has become nationally significant.

From Extinction to a Thriving Colony

Koalas were once common throughout the Riverina, but extensive land clearing and the fur-trade led to their disappearance from the region. By the mid-20th century, they were considered locally extinct.

That changed in the 1970s when an ambitious reintroduction program brought koalas back to Narrandera. Koalas were sourced from French Island in Victoria, Tucki Tucki Nature Reserve near Lismore in northern New South Wales, and some from south-east Queensland to establish a healthy founding population.

From just 19 koalas, the population has grown to more than 300 animals today. The project was made possible through a partnership between NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, Narrandera Shire Council, and the Rotary Club of Narrandera.

Australia’s Longest-running Citizen Science Program

A highlight of the Koala Festival is the annual Koala Count. Since 1989, volunteers have gathered every year (weather permitting) to count Narrandera’s koalas, making it Australia’s longest-running citizen science event. Participants join expert guides in the Flora and Fauna Reserve, spotting koalas and helping track the health and growth of the colony.

Held on the third weekend of September, it’s a particularly special time to visit with many young joeys visible on their mother’s backs. September is also Save the Koala Month, making it the perfect time to celebrate one of Australia’s most iconic native animals.

The Science Behind Narrandera’s Koalas

Although the population appeared to be flourishing, there had never been a comprehensive scientific assessment of Narrandera’s koalas. That changed in 2022, when 18 koalas were microchipped, ear-tagged and health-checked. In 2024, Taronga Conservation Society Australia and NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service began a three-year population health survey as part of the NSW Government’s Koala Strategy.

Researchers combined several monitoring techniques, including acoustic “song meters” placed throughout the reserve to record the distinctive mating call of male koalas to determine locations where koalas were present. Then, thermal imaging drones were used to determine koala density in these locations. Koalas were also fitted with short-term collars, enabling GPS satellite and VHF tracking of koala movements and habitat use.

A mobile veterinary unit team assessed koala health in the field, including swab collection, blood tests and ultrasonography to produce an accurate picture of the population’s health. The results have been incredibly encouraging, with researchers finding Narrandera’s koalas to be in excellent body condition, show strong genetic diversity and (perhaps most remarkably) none of the koalas examined were found to have chlamydia — a disease that affects most koala populations across Australia.

Together, these findings highlight the importance of Narrandera’s colony as one of Australia’s healthiest wild koala populations.

How You Can Help Koalas

One of the best ways to support Narrandera’s koalas is to experience their story for yourself. The Flora and Fauna Reserve is open to visitors year-round but for guaranteed sightings and expert guidance, plan your visit in time for the third weekend of September for the annual Koala Festival. Join researchers, conservationists, visitors, and the Riverina community for a weekend of guided habitat tours, expert talks, family activities and sightings of adorable koala joeys.

The festival culminates in the annual Koala Count and everyone is welcome to take part. The more people there to help count, the more koalas likely to be spotted, helping build a clearer picture of the population each year. It’s a rare opportunity to contribute directly to real conservation and see why Narrandera has become one of Australia’s best places to encounter wild koalas.

If you can’t make it to Narrandera, you can still help protect koalas wherever you live by:

• Planting local eucalypt trees;

• Keeping dogs on a leash when walking in koala habitat, and;

• Slowing down and watching for wildlife, especially when driving from dusk to dawn.

Whether you’re counting koalas here in Narrandera or caring for wildlife in your own neck of the woods, every action helps secure a future for one of Australia’s most iconic native species.