Media releases

Federation University Australia researchers will study koala DNA in a project that aims to significantly bolster koala conservation in Brisbane and across southeast Queensland.

The research team led by Federation University Conservation Biology Senior Lecturer, Dr Fiona Hogan, has been awarded more than $292,000 funding by Brisbane City Council to study koala genetics and movement.

The team will use detector dogs to collect koala scat, from which DNA will be extracted. These samples will help researchers understand the movements of koalas and how it relates to the genetic health of the population and the occurrence of disease. 

The new koala research will draw on existing studies the team has been carrying out in Brisbane over the past four years.

The Federation team has been tracking koalas and developing a suite of powerful molecular markers that enable them to define lineages and carry out landscape genetics.

The scat sampling techniques developed by the researchers, allow the koalas to be genetically tagged without capturing and stressing the animals.

The information collected by researchers will be used to drive conservation strategies in the area that aim to protect koala populations in Brisbane and southeast Queensland.

These populations have been pushed to the brink of extinction as a result of dwindling habitat and devastating bushfires as well as dog attacks, roads strikes and disease.

The project is one of four being funded by Brisbane City Council to protect koala populations in the area.

It is investing $1.1 million into critical research against the deadly disease Chlamydia, which is ravaging Australian koala populations.

The investment will see four teams of researchers capture wild koalas in Brisbane bushland to treat those affected by disease and study their DNA to explore their genetic immunity.

Quotes attributable to Federation University Conservation Biology Senior Lecturer, Fiona Hogan

 “Koala populations in southeast Queensland have been significantly impacted by bushfires and habitat clearing due to development.    This research will help us understand the changes that have occurred and develop strategies to protect these populations.”

“Detector dogs will go back to those areas that were last tested two and four years ago to see how things have changed. It will also give us valuable information on current population numbers and offspring and the presence of any contracted diseases like chlamydia or koala retrovirus.”

“The other part of the work will be to use landscape genetics to look at their movement across the landscape. This will indicate how koalas are moving, where diseases are being transmitted and what is allowing, or preventing, their movement.”

Quotes attributable to Brisbane City Council Lord Mayor, Cr Adrian Schrinner

“Brisbane City Council has been at the forefront of research projects and initiatives such as koala climb outs and wildlife signage to help do everything we can to protect these precious population across our city and beyond.”

“We intend to be the koala capital of Australia, and vital scientific, on-the-ground research undertaken by Fiona Hogan and her colleagues at the University of Queensland and Sunshine Coast University are ground-breaking and making a real difference.”

“It’s exciting to see koalas returning to locations such as the Botanic Gardens. Recently we have had the first siting of a koala at the gardens in 30 years.”