Koalas are fighting a battle for their very survival. Their habitat has been destroyed by people for development - roads, buildings, mining for instance. Wildfires have not only destroyed their habitat but also their food sources. And they are at danger of disease, especially chlamydia.
The 3rd May 2025 is a really important date
It's Wild Koala Day and in 2025, it's also the Federal Election Day in Australia. Koalas can stand as a symbol for all wildlife and it's a chance for people to tell the government that they care about koalas and all wildlife and biodiversity.
There are a lot of koala groups behind Wild Koala Day; see them here.
#KoalaElection and #wildkoaladay
Please help spread the word!
Sign up to koala charities' newsletters, follow them on social media and and tag local politicians to show them you care about koalas. Put political pressure on, especially with the election on the 3rd May.
The Australian Koala Foundation have a Koala Manifesto which calls for 10 key actions to save koalas. Please view it here and share it. You can also enlist in the Koala Army
Country music sensation and Koala ambassador Andy Penkow has joined forces with the Australian Koala Foundation to bring you "Heavy on Me". The song encourages us all to stand up and speak for the animals who have no voice. You can listen to "Heavy on Me" here
Wild Koala Day is asking everyone to take three actions:
Support community groups opposing development, mining and native forestry
Call your local council. Ask them for their policy on protecting forests.
Call your state government. Ask them why they support native forestry and mining.
We all need to become political animals, wherever we are in the world. Be a political koala! Find out more about it here.
Koalas need habitat
There are some huge tree planting campaigns taking place to help koalas and we can all help by giving them our support, be it through volunteering on tree planting days or donating towards tree planting. We can donate towards tree planting wherever we are in the world, of course.
Not only will this help koalas. It will help lots of other wildlife as well and it supports those ecosystems so vital to all our wellbeing, and it will help store carbon at the same time.
Bangalow Koalas are on a mission to plant 500,000 trees by 2025 - and they are getting very close to this target! The aim is to establish a "koala wildlife corridor" across the rivers of New South Wales,the corridor being an interconnected network of habitats where koalas can move safely and freely, You can see the difference in the before and after photos of this article
The Koala Clancy Foundation supports koalas in the Western Plains of Victoria, and they are looking to plant 300,000 trees by 2030, and they are over half way to meeting that target. You can see their tree planting projects here.
Save the Koala has a lot of helpful information about what trees to plant. Friends of the Koala have information too so that you can help restore koala habitat and you can buy trees from them for $1. Koalas need certain sorts of tree. Koalas in Care have tips on where to plant and not to plant trees.
Businesses, why not have a team building day helping with a tree planting? This could be great PR for your company and give employees something meaningful and different to do.
All the koalas released from Friends of the Koala hospital will be vaccinated against chlamydia. Please support this work.
Big Give Green Match Fund 2025
Support the Australian Wildlife Conservancy United Kingdom from the 22.04.25 mid-day to 29.04.25 midday. Donations will be doubled
Wild Koala Breeding Programme
Koala Joeys will be released into the wild to selected wild habitats to boost the wild populations there.
Volunteer!
A number of koala charities have volunteer opportunities, especially for tree planting days and events. There's nothing like joining in an effort with like-minded people who also want to make a difference. Visit the Koala charities around this page and see what volunteer help they need!
Please think about wildlife at home and when you’re out and about
You could leave water out for wildlife in your garden so that they have something to drink, especially when temperatures are at their hottest.
The wildfires mean exhausting and heart-breaking work for all those people who are discovering koalas, dead or alive. Koalas climb trees in a wildfire. If they climb high enough, the fire may pass below them. But wildfires are devastating for trees. Many koalas have died, and many more have been burnt with all sorts of injuries. The people helping koalas need to know we are all behind them and support their efforts, heart-breaking though they must be. Koalas are very particular about the trees they eat, so it is all the more devastating for them when these trees are destroyed in fire. Find out more here about some of the impact of the 2019 bushfires in Australia.