Koalas free from chlamydia discovered north of Sydney
Max the dog, an English Springer Spaniel, made a discovery that could save Australia’s wildlife. His tracking led to the finding of a population of koalas north of Sydney, which may be free from chlamydia. WWF compared it to "striking gold."
WWF Australia reported on their site about an important discovery that took place near Coffs Harbour, north of Sydney in New South Wales. Thanks to the work of a dog named Max, trained to track koalas, an unexpected trace was found. Max came across koala droppings, which were not ordinary, but turned out to be a significant find.
The disease, known as chlamydia, is one of the main causes of the dramatic decline in the number of koalas in Australia. In recent years, the population of these marsupials has decreased at an alarming rate, and chlamydia is responsible for many cases. This disease, caused by the bacterium chlamydia, is sexually transmitted and makes healthy koalas a rarity in Australia.
Max, a specialised dog, is trained to search for koala remnants, which allows for research on the health status of these animals' population. This time his detection was groundbreaking – in the region north of Sydney, there are koalas that are free from chlamydia bacteria.
This discovery was confirmed by scientific research, which noticed that koalas in this area differ from others. These animals have darker fur and more fluffy coats. Researchers emphasise that if this is indeed a genetically distinct group of koalas free from this disease, it should be urgently protected.
Diseases are killing koalas
There are few such areas left in New South Wales where koalas free from chlamydia exist. It is worth noting that in the last hundred years, the number of koalas on the coast of New South Wales has decreased by one-third, mainly due to diseases.
The koala, a marsupial inhabiting mainly eastern Australia, particularly in the states of Queensland and New South Wales, is relatively healthier in this region than in other parts of the country. For example, in this part of New South Wales, only about a third of koalas are infected with chlamydia, while in other areas of Australia some populations are fully infected. It is currently estimated that between 60,000 and 238,000 koalas live in Australia.
