Dogs could be banned in some Queensland suburbs due to koala extinction
Certain South East Queensland suburbs may be proposing a ban on dog ownership in a desperate bid to protect the region’s dwindling koala population.
Both wild and domestic dogs pose a threat to one of our most beloved national animals, and a panel of koala experts spearheaded by Environment Minister Steven Miles are recommending a temporary ban on our four-legged friends in a last-ditch attempt to prevent extinction.
“Protecting habitat is critical, but certainly in urban areas, we need certainly to manage dogs and cars much more effectively,” Associate Professor at the University of Queensland, Jonathan Rhodes, told the Brisbane Times. “And that is one thing that hasn't worked in places like Pine Rivers and the Koala Coast (Redlands).”
Rhodes and his fellow experts explain that urban development and all that comes with it – namely cars and domesticated dogs – is responsible for the decline in koala numbers. In fact, between 1997 and 2011, almost 11,000 of the over 15,000 South East Queensland koalas were killed as a result of cars, dogs, and stress-related disease. Most of these deaths occurred in Redlands, Pine Rivers and Ipswich, where populations have dropped by up to 65 per cent.
“The reality is this is crunch time for the koalas of the Koala Coast,” panel member Dr Alistair Melzer said. “The measures that have put in place to date – although extremely well-meant – just haven't worked.”
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