Koala ‘Misinformation’ Cry as Population Counts Soar

New research has uncovered a larger-than-expected population of koalas, raising questions about the need to expand the protection of the marsupial’s habitat.

A koala sits among eucalyptus at Taronga Zoo in Sydney, Australia, on March 02, 2021. Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images

Australia’s koala population could be many multiples higher than previous estimates, prompting logging advocates to question the protection of swathes of native habitat.

New tools such as heat-detecting drones and acoustic recorders uncovered an additional 244,000 of the furry marsupials nestled in trees across New South Wales (NSW).