ABSTRACT

The Australian Government recently ‘upgraded’ the status of the koala across New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory and Queensland from vulnerable to endangered. This change is a result of the impact of prolonged drought, bushfires, and the cumulative impacts of disease, urbanisation and habitat loss. In contrast, little is known about the status of koalas in the Clarke-Connors Ranges in Central Queensland. Land-use here is dominated by agriculture, in particular cattle-grazing, and extractive industries. A community-based postal survey of 160 landholders was undertaken between October 2021 and March 2022, with the intention to gauge attitudes and willingness towards koala conservation. The survey (∼14.86 per cent response-rate) revealed that landholders were generally aware of koalas living in the area. Most respondents perceived that today koala numbers are higher than in the past, or at least stable. The main concerns for koala survival were the threat posed by vehicles. Roaming dogs, pest animals and habitat loss were also mentioned. Support for habitat protection and restoration measures was expressed. We reflect that conservation is not just the responsibility of landholders but also of the wider community and we encourage the gauging of attitudes, awareness and behavioural change of koala conservation in the broader community.

摘要

澳大利亚政府最近将新南威尔士州、澳大利亚首都直辖区和昆士兰州的考拉的地位从脆弱升级为濒危. 这种变化是长期干旱、丛林大火以及疾病、城市化和栖息地丧失的累积影响的结果。相比之下，人们对昆士兰中部克拉克-康纳斯山脉考拉的状况知之甚少。这里的土地利用以农业为主，尤其是放牧业和采掘业。2021 年 10 月至 2022 年 3 月期间，对 160 名土地所有者进行了基于社区的邮政调查，目的是衡量人们对考拉保护的态度和意愿。调查（约 14.86% 的回复率）显示，土地所有者普遍知道该地区生活着考拉。大多数受访者认为，如今考拉的数量高于过去，或者至少保持稳定。考拉生存的主要担忧是车辆造成的威胁。流浪狗，害虫动物和栖息地丧失也被提及。表达了对栖息地保护和恢复措施的支持。我们认为保护不仅是土地所有者的责任，也是更广泛社区的责任，我们鼓励衡量更广泛社区对考拉保护的态度、意识和行为改变。