Koala from Rare Disease-Free Population Killed by Vehicle Strike โon Appin Road
Appin Road,south of Sydney – A young male koala,part of one of new โSouth Wales’ last remaining chlamydia-free populations,was killed after being struck by a vehicle. The incident has โขrenewed concerns about the effectiveness of wildlife underpasses and fencing โขdesigned to protect the โขendangered species.
The koala, known as Gage, was a breeding-age animal. His death โrepresentsโค a “genuine loss” for nativeโ wildlife, according to Roads Ministerโ Jo Haylen. โ”Any death of native wildlife is a genuine loss,” she โขsaid.
Work on a koala โคunderpass at the siteโค hadโ been stalled due to accessโฃ disputesโฃ between developers Stockland and Lendlease.An agreement has now been reached to allow some work to resume.
“I have made it clear to transport for NSW that it is essential to getโ this work โcompleted โขas soon as โคpossible,” ms. Haylen stated.
stockland confirmed it โhas secured “initial temporary access” โคand expects toโ begin work “in โthe coming days,” โขbutโ noted the access period isโ limitedโฃ and insufficient to complete the project. Lendlease โคdeclined to comment.
Beyond โthe immediateโฃ tragedy, conservationistsโ are alarmed by โฃthe impactโค of koala fencing along Appin Road.Ms. โขCarrick โexplained the fencingโค is restricting the chlamydia-free koala population’s access to vital east-west migration โฃroutes and pushing them southward.
“The fencing โis cutting them off from additional habitat in the chlamydia-free zone,” sheโฃ said. “the โthing that weighs on all of our minds isโ the further south they go, that’s when they are going โto meet chlamydia.” โ
Koalas are facing increasing threats โฃfrom habitatโ loss, climate change, and disease, with chlamydiaโ beingโค a significant factor in population โคdecline across much of NSW. The โAppin Road population represented a critical genetic reservoir, and Gage’s death underscores the urgency of effectiveโ conservation measures.