Australian Koala Foundation
| Founded | 17 January 1986 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Steve Brown Barry Scott |
| Focus | Long-term conservation of the wild koala |
| Location |
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| Method | Research, education, legislation, mopping and planning |
|
Key people
|
Deborah Tabart, OAM |
| Website | www.savethekoala.com |
The Australian Koala Foundation (AKF) is an international not-for-profit scientific organisation that aims to diminish the threats to the survival of koalas and in doing so raise the awareness of the global community to help save endangered fauna and flora. It is the principal non-profit, non-governmental organisation dedicated to the conservation and effective management of the wild koala and its habitat.
The koala lives predominantly on a diet of eucalyptus plants. Many of these trees are being cleared each year. The primary focus of the AKF is getting new legislation in place to protect Koala trees. The organisation receives no form of government funding by choice, because this leaves the AKF to speak freely for Koalas without the constraints of government. Therefore, the AKF relies on donations, sponsorship, and fundraising to finance its ongoing work. AKF research indicates that somewhere between 52,000 and 87,000 koalas remain in the wild. Local extinctions are occurring regularly, and AKF believes that the only way to protect and regenerate populations into the future is with a Koala Protection Act.
During the mid-1980s, Steve Brown, a veterinary graduate who had developed a special interest in koalas, was pursuing Ph.D studies at the University of Queensland, focusing on a not uncommon pathological condition in koalas, cystic ovaries. This condition was associated with low reproductive rates. He provided evidence to suggest that chlamydial disease may be affecting population dynamics of wild koala colonies. As a result of his studies he became convinced that chlamydial disease was a major threat to the species, given the widespread occurrence of the organism. This conviction led him to seek support for the establishment of a body which could fund research into the koala and its problems.
In 1985, when Barry Scott was asked to manage the Oasis Tourist Gardens, he met Steve Brown who was acting as the honorary veterinary consultant to a colony of disease free koalas that lived there. Steve was a passionate advocate for the koala and he inspired Barry who suggested that a Foundation for the koala be formed. Together they began to gather friends and supporters around them to form an organisation to help cure koala diseases and save their declining numbers.
A constitution was drawn up and on 17 January 1986 a Certificate of Incorporation (no. 1262) was issued in the name of the Australian Koala Association Inc. This name was changed on 3 October 1986 to the Australian Koala Foundation Inc. Later the word Inc. was dropped.
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