A koala in the Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve enclosure. Photo: ACT Parks and Conservation.
Surveillance cameras will now watch over koalas at Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve after staff and volunteers reported “increasingly disrespectful” behaviour from some visitors.
ACT Parks and Conservation confirmed the problem publicly this week, saying people had been seen “throwing food and coins into the enclosure (and even at the animals themselves) and poking the sleeping koalas with sticks to get them to move”.
In a Facebook post, the agency said it had now installed cameras at the popular koala-viewing area to deter attacks.
“Please help us protect these gentle animals by showing them the respect they deserve,” it said.
“Koalas need to sleep 18-20 hours every day, so disturbing them can cause stress and be detrimental to their health and wellbeing.”
Inside the enclosure. Photo: Michelle Kroll.
Simon Stratford, Director of Namadgi, Tidbinbilla and the Murrumbidgee River Corridor, said cases had been becoming more common in recent months.
“Our staff have come across rubbish, food, coins being thrown into the koala enclosure … and a volunteer has caught people attempting to poke the koalas with sticks,” he said.
“It hasn’t escalated suddenly, but there’s just a point in time where we need to call out this sort of behaviour.”
Tidbinbilla’s koalas aren’t part of a formal breeding program, but they are a big drawcard for the reserve.
“We’ve got a couple at the immediate display that people would be familiar with, and then in the broader enclosure, there’re quite a few more roaming around the trees that are a lot harder to spot,” he said. The youngest is Annie, a two-year-old.
Mr Stratford stressed none of the koalas had been injured.
“As you can imagine, we know all these koalas by name, they get regular vet checks, we keep a very close eye on them, and none of them have been injured as a result of this behaviour.”
A temporary Tidbinbilla Visitors Centre has opened while the original undergoes upgrades. Photo: ACT Parks and Conservation Service/Facebook.
He added that even though it’s a “minority doing these sorts of activities”, it’s enough to distress those responsible for the koalas’ care.
“It’s pretty upsetting for our staff and volunteers who are there day in, day out, looking after these animals.”
He said the behaviour may stem from visitors expecting more action from the famously sleepy marsupials.
“Koalas in particular … tend to sleep between 18 and 20 hours a day just because of the gum leaves that they eat,” he said.
“You can imagine people turning up there, koalas are asleep, and people trying to get them to wake up and move around the enclosure.”
The cameras were installed about a week ago, designed to first deter and then also provide a means of enforcement.
“Just to let people know that they are being watched if there’s any of that sort of behaviour,” he said.
Staff are always watching now. Photo: ACT Parks and Conservation.
If staff or footage capture further incidents, the government will take “appropriate action to follow up with authorities”. Visitors are also asked to report any antisocial behaviour immediately to the Visitor Centre or a ranger.
Mr Stratford’s message for visitors is simple: “We just want people to respect the animals,” he said.
“Observe them from a distance and just respect them for the beautiful creatures that they are.”
Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve is open every day (except Christmas Day) from 9 am to 5 pm. Entry fees apply.
