Aspects of the Ecology of the Koala, Phascolarctos cinereus (Goldfuss), in Tucki Tucki Nature Reserve, New South Wales

Abstract

A study of the koala colony in the 4-ha Tucki Tucki Nature Reserve in northern New South Wales was carried out between March 1972 and February 1976. The Reserve supported a resident adult population of 11 or 12 koalas, comprising three males and eight or nine females, and a mean total population of 26.5. Resident koalas engage in a high degree of local movement. Females are mature at the beginning of their third year and normally raise one young per year to independence. Males may not be fully mature till the commencement of their fourth year. Young are independent of the parent female at 12 months and disperse during their second year if unable to secure a vacant place in the Reserve. Dispersed koalas either take up residence in an adjoining colony, become nomads, or perish. During the study, all three resident males died over a short period. The gradual return to a stable population is examined.