Endeavour Veterinary Ecology (EVE), City of Moreton Bay and the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) have teamed up to create an innovative solution to reduce koala fatalities on Queensland roads.
The Fauna Escape Hatch, nicknamed the ‘Koala Doggy Door’, has been designed by EVE, with Australia-first trials, that could lead to many lives saved, conducted in City of Moreton Bay and funded by Council and TMR.
Koalas across southeast Queensland are on the move, with breeding season now in full swing. Although koalas spend much of their time in trees, they also move across open ground and roads, particularly between July and December, as they actively search for new habitat and mates.
Sadly, vehicle strikes are a major cause of koala deaths in southeast Queensland, with an average of 300 koalas killed each year on roads. Roads create barriers to koala movement, fragmenting their habitat, and during this time of year, when koalas are on the move, they are especially vulnerable to vehicle strikes.
Thanks to this innovative Queensland invention by leading koala ecology business EVE, the trial is showing promising results, with 16 installations already being rolled out across City of Moreton Bay just in time for the koala breeding season.
In an Australian-first feasibility study, the development of a device officially called the ‘Fauna Escape Hatch’ is being trialled to determine its effectiveness in helping koalas quickly escape from road or rail corridors to safe bushland.
The Fauna Escape Hatch consists of a frame with suspended aluminium or stainless steel independently moving tines, allowing one-way movement of animals through the structure. Designed specifically for koalas, the device is adaptable for use by other fauna based on the height of the build. Manufactured in Brisbane from aluminium, the patented design is maintenance-free.
The device has been rigorously tested in near-real-world conditions with 85 wild koalas, as an alternative to existing roadside escape structures. Currently, the main escape mechanism along roadsides is the koala escape pole, a kopper log positioned next to fences that theoretically allows koalas to climb up and over, back into bushland. The Fauna Escape Hatch has been designed based on years of studying koala behaviour and their preference to push under or through barriers rather than climb up and over structures.
Over the 12-month trial, three pairs of koala escape solutions were installed at the trial site at EVE’s HQ in Toorbul, City of Moreton Bay: traditional escape poles, an escape valve, and the Fauna Escape Hatch. The results were compelling, with koalas successfully navigating their way through the Fauna Escape Hatch, 100% of the time whenever it was encountered. This has demonstrated that the device is a promising addition to existing koala escape solutions across our road networks.
Wildlife vehicle strikes tend to cluster at specific locations or sections of road known as ‘hotspots’, which occur where roads cut through wildlife habitats and corridors.
Following the success of the initial trial, sixteen of the devices have already been installed at six hotspot locations across City of Moreton Bay within existing wildlife fencing. There are now plans to install more of these devices at other locations across the city.
Koala Expertise Key to Trial’s Success
EVE, a Queensland-based ecology business specialising in the population and health management of koalas, was established in 2009 and has tracked and monitored over 1,850 koalas during this time. Their extensive understanding of koala behaviour and movement has been critical to the success of this trial. EVE’s CEO, Michael Hornby, explains the importance of this knowledge towards a successful trial:
“With over 900,000 kilometres of roads across Australia, we urgently need solutions that allow koalas and other native wildlife to move safely between habitats. Our deep knowledge of koala behaviour and habitat use has been key to this project, and it excites us to know that this device could have a real-world impact in reducing vehicle-koala interactions.”
TMR funded the trail through the Coomera Connector Stage 1 project, which is one of the biggest road projects currently underway in southeast Queensland. Malcolm Tilgner, Project Director, highlighted the significance of the trail that aims to further project wildlife and motorists.
“When habitat and road infrastructure intersect, it can endanger both wildlife and motorists. We are excited to see this practical solution implemented on the Coomera Connector, to reduce the likelihood of koala-vehicle contact. We hope this feasibility study will provide mutual benefits of both koalas and motorists from this simple yet effective innovation.”
Mayor Peter Flannery said City of Moreton Bay was pleased to be involved in the Australian-first trial and had implemented 16 Fauna Escape Hatches across the City.
“Council officers have installed the devices and setup camera monitoring to capture the results.
“Although this trial has only just begun, we have already seen incredibly encouraging results through our monitoring system showing koalas unable to re-enter the road network thanks to this innovative device.
“City of Moreton Bay has partnered with EVE for many years now and we are proud to be the first Council in Australia to trial the Fauna Escape Hatch.
“We are already planning to expand our green infrastructure network to include more of these hatches in the future and we hope others can follow suit to help save lives.
“City of Moreton Bay is one of the only local government areas in the country that has healthy urban koala populations. We will continue to implement initiatives such as this hatch to protect our local wildlife including the iconic koala,” Mayor Flannery said.
The initiative has also generated interest from other local government areas in Queensland, with plans for broader expansion interstate over the next 12 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are the koalas collared? All koalas being treated by EVE are part of a koala tagging and health monitoring program utilising our K-tracker biotelemetry tag and low profile collar. The Queensland-born technology is a major tool used in our work to monitor up to hundreds of koalas throughout the most critical phases of development or other intensive population health monitoring scenarios. It is vital being able to view koalas in-near-real-time ensuring the well-being of each and every koala on projects where we work.
Where do the koalas in the trial come from? Koalas selected to be put through the trial are wild koalas at the end of their treatment from our specialised intensive-care koala clinic. In order to participate, each koala must meet a strict criteria framework which is assessed at the conclusion of their treatment time at EVE’s veterinary facility prior to release. These guidelines are designed to ensure that each candidate is both physically and behaviourally suitable for participation in the trials. The timeframe undertaken for each animal is short, with most koalas running through in seconds or just a few minutes.
Is it safe for use by mothers with backrider joeys or larger wildlife? Yes! Our permitted trials have shown that female koalas with backrider joeys can successfully navigate through the device without the joey being detached from the mother. We also have a taller version for larger marsupials such as macropods, wombats and southern koalas that can also be installed.