Sunshine Coast Council and Department of Transport and Main Roads will be working together in the Ilkley area over the next three months to control wild dogs and foxes in an effort to protect koalas and other native wildlife.

Native Animals needing protectionKoalas move regularly around their home range to visit preferred food and shelter trees, to survey their territory, as well as for breeding and social interaction. Juvenile koalas may need to disperse for several kilometres to locate a suitable area to establish their own home range. In peri-urban areas, koala movements often involve venturing into backyards that are adjacent to or between patches of bushland habitat.Most koala movements between trees involve travelling on the ground, mainly between dusk and dawn. By following a few simple responsible pet ownership guidelines, the risk of dog attacks on koalas and pet injury during pest animal control programs can be greatly reduced.

Dog and KoalasA dog can seriously injure or kill a koala from a single bite. Signs of a bite may not be visible on a koala from the outside. A single bite can cause significant internal damage or lead to a life-threatening infection.

Keep your dog safely contained all the times

Koalas and Dogs on the Sunshine Coast

Guidelines for responsible pet ownership

Important facts

Koalas tend to be most active between August-February during their breeding season

Koalas are capable of inflicting nasty injuries using sharp claws and powerful jaws

Koala attacks are more likely when there is more than one dog around

o Ensuring your dog does not have free access to roam will help to ensure safe koala movement.

o It is an offence to allow your dog or cat to roam off your property.

o Ensuring they are kept on your property ensures they are safe from incurring injury during control programs.

Keep your dog under effective controlo It is an offence to allow your dog off

leash in any public area other than a designated off leash area.

o This includes all paths leading up to an off leash area.

o In some suburbs koalas commonly use habitat trees within dog exercise areas. If you see a koala on the ground in this area, please place your dog on a lead until the koala climbs back up to safety.

o Ensuring your pets are kept under your control ensures they are safe from incurring injury during control programs.

Install Koala friendly fencingo Fencing which allows koalas to climb

out of your yard will assist them if they do encounter a dog.

Don’t assume your dog is friendlyo When approached by an unfamiliar

animal in their own backyard a dog may feel threatened and might react in an unexpected manner.

When are control activities occurring?

o The control program is timed to target young and mature wild dogs and foxes following the breeding season. Control activities will commence in February 2020 and continue through to May 2020. Please take note of signage in the area.

Where will control activities be occurring?o Control activities will be occurring in

bushland areas within the reserve. The program area will be clearly identified by warning signs placed at all entrances.

o Control activities will NOT be occurring on public pathways, roadsides, within five metres of a boundary fence.

How will foxes be controlled?o The program will use the following

methods to humanely control foxes: Use of soft-catch foothold traps that

are regularly checked.

What to do if your find an injured koala

Do not touch the koala If possible, place a bin or box over koala and

place a weight on top. This will help calm the koala and contain it.

For wildlife cares or contacts: https://www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/Environment/Native-Animals/Injured-Wildlife

Guidelines for during the control