SYDNEY (December 11, 2025)—New statewide modelling detailed by the NSW Government today suggesting there may be as many as 274,000 koalas in New South Wales does not mean NSW can relax its stance on the need for more robust koala protections.
The increase in modelled populations reflects improved detection techniques and better survey coverage, allowing scientists to identify animals that were previously missed.
Humane World for Animals Australia's Program Manager, Wildlife, Dr Renae Charalambous says that this science offers a second chance to get koala conservation right.
"Koalas across NSW still face severe pressures, including habitat loss and fragmentation, disease, vehicle strikes and dog attacks," says Dr Charalambous. "While this new data is encouraging, we still need strong action to secure and restore connected habitat across the koala's range. The Great Koala National Park is central to this effort. Protecting and connecting high-value habitat will give koalas the space and resilience they need to survive long-term."
Koalas were listed as endangered on Australia's east coast in 2022 following a joint nomination by Humane World for Animals Australia, the International Fund for Animal Welfare and WWF-Australia in March 2020 to the federal Threatened Species Scientific Committee. This nomination came off the back of revelations in 2021 that koala populations in Queensland, ACT and NSW had declined by 57% over the previous 20-year period.
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