Home News & Updates 5 Year Milestone for Endangered Koalas! 

5 Year Milestone for Endangered Koalas! 

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Over 500 Koalas have now been vaccinated against chlamydia as part of this joint research program with the Queensland University of Technology.  

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Our vet team is proud to be celebrating 5 years since they became part of a world first Koala Chlamydia Vaccine Research Program.  

Fortunately, over 500 Koalas have now been vaccinated against chlamydia as part of this joint research program with the Queensland University of Technology.  

Koala Chlamydia Research Results

Results from this five-year research program in Elanora—an area where disease rates were as high as 70%—have been promising.    

The vaccinated population is thriving, with 41 joeys and 12 grand-joeys born.

Take a look at this Koala Research Family Tree to see the incredible work that has come to life in the Elanora region.   

koala family tree vaccine trial

Saving Koalas from deadly disease

Chlamydia can cause infertility in Koalas, so these births are a beacon of hope for a species at risk of becoming locally extinct by 2050.  

Dr Michael Pyne OAM, Senior Vet at Currumbin Wildlife Hospital believes that prevention is better than cure.   

“Our five solid years of hard work with the Koala Chlamydia Vaccine Research Program has proven that there is hope for Koalas and that this is a battle we can absolutely fight.  We need support continuing this momentum now, evolving our research and ensuring all Koalas are vaccinated against this deadly disease,” Pyne said.  

We are determined to keep up this great work by continuing the Koala Research Program, with a focus on subadult Koalas.         

We would like to recognise the supporters of the first stage of this project that began in 2020.  

Thank you to: 

  • Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate 
  • City of Gold Coast 
  • WWF-Australia 
  • WildArk 
  • The Neumann Family 
  • Rotary Currumbin Coolangatta Tweed 
  • And generous members of the community 

Tweed Coast Koala Research Hub supporters: 

  • Worldwide Fund for Nature – Australia 
  • NSW Government 
  • Tweed Shire Council 

We’re so grateful for all the support, but there is more to do in the fight to save Koalas. If you can, please get involved and support the continuous work of this research program.

Save Endangered Koalas

Jingeri – Hello

We respectfully acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the greater Yugambeh language region, the Country on which Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary and Hospital are situated today. We recognise their continuing connections to the land, sky, waters (waterways), and wildlife. We thank them for caring for this Country and its ecosystems.

We celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, and we pay our respect to Elders past and present.

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