There is growing concern in Queensland after an underweight koala was spotted with strange devices strapped to its body – leading to it being dubbed ‘Robokoala’.
The mystery only deepened when it turned out a state government body had given the greenlight to attaching the cumbersome mechanics to the marsupial, but that the research is being kept secret from the public.
According to government data, 444 koalas have been included in the research so far.
Gold Coast woman Zoe Scharenguivel was driving with her children when she spotted the koala on a busy road in Helensvale.
She thought it could be lost as the area, a known koala habitat, had recently been bulldozed and there was a lot of wire fencing around, so she stopped to try to help it.
Ms Scharenguivel discovered there was a collar with a large VHF tracker around its neck, a pin stitched between its shoulder blades and a blue tag on its ear.
‘I felt sick. I couldn’t believe it. There was a rod in its back and a big cumbersome collar around its neck,’ she told Yahoo News.
‘I just want some information about what is actually going on, so I can share it with the community.’
It turned out that Queensland’s Department of Primary Industries (DPI) is allowing a company called Endeavour Veterinary Ecology (EVE) to use animals for scientific purposes.
‘Specific details of EVE’s activities are confidential. Only authorised departmental officers have access to information collected … about the use of animals for scientific purposes,’ DPI said in a statement.
The koala’s appearance scared many people who saw the photos and wondered if the fact it was underweight could be due to the devices making it harder for it to eat.
EVE, though, is contracted by Queensland’s Department of Transport (TMR) to monitor the movement and health of an endangered koala population that has been displaced by land clearing for the Coomera Connector, a new motorway.
It said the VHF collars don’t hinder the koalas’ movement, nor do they stop joeys from clinging to their mother’s backs.
EVE CEO Michael Hornby said it wants to ‘deliver the best outcomes for at-risk and declining koala populations’.
Mr Hornby said the devices serve two purposes. The first is for safety during the clearing of their habitat.
‘Without tracking, about half of koalas aren’t seen until it’s too late. Using near real-time monitoring along with back-up VHF tags prevents accidental injuries or death caused by vegetation clearing machines,’ he said.
The second purpose is to monitor the koalas’ health. ‘Our devices send us GPS location and activity data, which our field staff check at least once daily.
‘When we see that they might be in trouble or sick, we respond. We work collaboratively with the wildlife rescue groups as well, who might get called to one of our monitored koalas before we can get to it.’
TMR told Yahoo that 444 koalas have been included in the monitoring program since it began in August 2021, and 251 are currently being tracked.
‘This data has provided robust, scientific evidence and knowledge about the koalas in the Coomera Connector Stage 1 corridor,’ it said in a statement.
Daily Mail has contacted Endeavour Veterinary Ecology for further comment.