Brisbane City Council to reintroduce koalas to four bushland areas

March 3, 2024 6:48 PM

Brisbane City Council to reintroduce koalas to four bushland areas. Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner has announced a partnership with the University of Queensland to reintroduce koalas in areas across the city, including Mt Coot-tha.
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries (10 comments total)

I wonder what the other pieces of that chessboard would be ?
posted by MonsieurPEB at 6:53 PM on March 3

Time to stock up on repellent.
posted by genpfault at 7:18 PM on March 3

Mount Coot-tha is a great spot for them. People can go from the Botanic Gardens on to a nice bushwalk for some koala spotting!
posted by rednikki at 7:32 PM on March 3 [2 favorites]

Can we get koalas introduced into the pacific northwest?

Asking for a friend.
posted by hippybear at 7:37 PM on March 3 [2 favorites]

Apart from the dearth of eucalyptus trees hereabouts, not to mention the fact that our climate would kill them, that's a splendid idea.
posted by y2karl at 8:41 PM on March 3

I wonder what the other pieces of that chessboard would be?

Potoroos.
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries at 8:41 PM on March 3

We actually have plenty of blue gum eucalyptus in CA and I believe there is some in OR and WA too. They are a fire hazard so we could definitely use some koalas to keep them under control. When can we expect the first shipment?

(Not really serious, I am sure there are plenty of good reasons not to. What are they?)
posted by donio at 12:30 AM on March 4

Can we get koalas introduced into the pacific northwest?

Trust me, you don't want them. Koalas are little shits. They're loud, stupid (yes, it's literally their survival method), and the exception to natural selection that proves the rule. They only eat one of the least nutritious parts of the least nutritious species of plant. The only reason they didn't go extinct? The have no competition except with each other for the leaves because no other animal wants them and the leaves make them too toxic to eat by predators.
posted by Your Childhood Pet Rock at 6:43 AM on March 4 [3 favorites]

Apparently their only other saving grace is being cuter-than-a-bugs-ear little bearsie wearsies. At a distance at that.
posted by y2karl at 6:57 AM on March 4

They're basically cough-drop sloths, aren't they?
posted by scruss at 2:47 PM on March 4