Irwin's Australia Zoo under attack over koala care
March 14, 2008 12:53am


Zoo accused of endangering koala populations
May be forced to pay more than $12,000 in fines
Melbourne Zoo: Rare tiger found dead in pool

AUSTRALIA Zoo's wildlife hospital has broken the law by not releasing koalas within their prescribed habitats, potentially endangering the marsupials and other koala populations.

The Australian Wildlife Hospital is required to release recuperated koalas within 5km of where they were found but failed to do so on at least eight occasions last year, according to environmental officials.

A spokesman from the Environment Protection Association said it had met the hospital to discuss the breach and is "monitoring compliance".

"All organisations involved in koala rehabilitation, including Australian Wildlife Hospital at Australia Zoo, are required to comply with the requirement to be released to prescribed natural habitat," the spokesman said.

"To do otherwise without authorisation under the legislation is an offence."

Offenders face a maximum fine of $12,375 per breach under the nature conservation regulations.

The breaches are a further blow for the multimillion-dollar Sunshine Coast enterprise made famous by the late Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin as it fights a lawsuit accusing it of reneging on $2.5 million in loans and as it deflects media speculation of an Irwin family rift.

An Australia Zoo spokeswoman issued a statement from AWH Director of Veterinary Services Dr Jon Hanger defending the zoo's actions.

"These koalas were rescued from busy roads, which are not safe areas to return wildlife or in the middle of urban developments," it said.

Australia Zoo did not say where the koalas were released or whether they were still alive.

Koala rescuers for the Pine Rivers Koala Care Association have refused to give the zoo koalas injured in the northwest Brisbane region because it noticed animals were not coming back.

"Moving koalas is contrary to law and contrary to good scientific evidence," association president David Horstman said. "To me this is a long time in coming. Something really needed to be done."

Koalas released outside their home range are at greater risk of disease or predators, and there have been cases of koalas dying trying to return to their home territory.

Wildlife Preservation Society spokesman Simon Baltais said: "Based on what we know, we don't translocate them.

"We know they have a social structure and when you move foreign animals into an area, other animals lose out and starve."

An official with the NSW-based Friends of Koalas said the organisation put injured animals back where they were found.

"That's true not just of koalas but other animals like possums, turtles or birds," she said.

"You'd try to put them back in a similar type kind of area."