Sixteen more koalas have been moved off Kangaroo Island to the Cleland Wildlife Park in the Adelaide Hills. The Department for the Environment and Water, who operate the park, have now relocated a total of 28 koalas from the island after an estimated 30 000 perished in the bushfires of December and January.

Staff from the island’s Hanson Bay Wildlife Sanctuary worked with Cleland staff to move the latest group of koalas earlier this week. 

The koalas have been moved to prevent them dying of starvation after more than 210 000 hectares, which was most of their habitat, was destroyed in the fires.

Traditionally any koalas removed from the island are not able to be returned because of the risk of disease. The 28 rescued koalas will be become part of an ark population on the mainland and the Department says that their offspring may become part of a rewilding program in years to come.

Kangaroo Island’s koala population is free of chlamydia and has a low rate of KORV, an AIDS like disease. Both of these diseases are widespread in mainland koalas. 

The 28 koalas taken to the Cleland Wildlife Park will be kept in separate new enclosures at the park, which have been built with the help of the Australian Defence Force.