Why saving koalas matters more than ever
An icon in peril
Last time I had visitors from Europe, I was asked to arrange “an encounter” with one of our most iconic animals - the koala. It sounded like a fun adventure suitable for all ages, even if not as adrenaline-filled as some of their other suggestions, such as scuba diving in Port Phillip Bay. We chose to visit Healesville Sanctuary, which offers a koala experience along with opportunities to learn about this fascinating marsupial.
My guests were delighted, but on our way home, we had a sobering conversation. They were shocked to learn that in just two decades, koala populations in eastern Australia have declined by more than 50%. In 2022, the species was officially listed as endangered in Queensland, New South Wales, and the Australian Capital Territory. The Australian Koala Foundation estimates there may be as few as 80,000 koalas left in the wild. Some estimates suggest even lower number.
This alarming decline highlights the failure of current environmental stewardship. Urban sprawl, land clearing, worsening bushfires, and other ecological pressures are pushing koalas closer to extinction. Will our overseas visitors have the chance to see a wild koala 20 years from now? We can hope but hope alone won’t save them. Protecting koalas and other native species requires long-term commitment, science-based policy, educational effort and substantial investment.
In conversation with Deborah Tabart OAM
Deborah Tabart OAM, Chair of the Australian Koala Foundation, spoke to Charity Journal about her decades-long commitment to koala conservation and the deeper motivations behind her work.
Charity Journal (CJ): What inspired you to take on a role in the charity sector?
Deborah Tabart (DT): I was in Miss Australia in 1969, raising money for cerebral palsy, and I think fundraising gets into your blood. I was also President of my children’s school raising funds and some koala scientists attended that function and said “we need you” and a few months later, there I was…
CJ: Can you share more about your work and how it supports the mission of the Australian Koala Foundation?
DT: I started in 1988 with the goal of raising money for science to “save the koala.” I soon realised habitat loss was the core issue. In June this year, we completed the Koala Habitat Atlas, covering the entire geographic range of the koala. It took 23 years and nearly $20 million. I believe we are the only NGO in the world that has mapped the entire range of a species – the iconic koala.
CJ: Is there a moment in your work that stands out as particularly moving?
DT: Sometimes people call while they’re dying and want to make a final donation. One story that stays with me involves two mothers - one from England, one from Australia - who both lost sons and made donations. I introduced them, and the koala brought them together. That meant so much.
CJ: What strategies help you overcome moments of doubt or discouragement?
DT: Crying! And then intense determination to use those experiences to keep going. Injustice drives me. I think some of our politicians would like me to give up, but I won’t. Like Bob Brown says, you have to be an activist until the day you die.
CJ: What life lesson shapes your work and worldview?
DT: Keeping your sense of humour.
CJ: What advice would you give to someone struggling to find purpose or motivation?
DT: Endure - and don’t suppress your feelings. Ask yourself, “Am I meant to be here, or somewhere else?” I know I am meant to be here.
CJ: Is there a book you often recommend?
DT: Oh, I am an avid reader – mainly biographies – because I love to learn how other people have coped and what they have learnt from their trials and tribulations. I have to say two and you can choose - “Harpo speaks!” by Harpo Marx and “Wifedom” by Anna Funder.
CJ: Inspiration can come from many places. Who or what is inspiring you the most right now?
DT: The beauty of nature. Sunrise and sunset. I usually aim to see them both and I am very glad that I have a piece of paradise that is a permaculture garden, so plucking some fruit or vegetables makes the day better.
CJ: What’s your vision for the world you want to help create?
DT: A world without cruelty. I want laws that protect all creatures great and small. The Koala Protection Act is just the beginning. Most people don’t realise that current development approvals can legally allow developers to kill - and I resent it enormously. Our law would not allow that—and that’s where real change begins.
The future we choose
The story of the koala is not just about a single species under threat - it’s about the broader crisis of biodiversity in Australia and our national responsibility to future generations. Koalas serve as a potent reminder of the consequences we face when we persist in viewing our natural environment as disposable or a waste repository.
The work of Deborah Tabart OAM and the Australian Koala Foundation reminds us that meaningful change is both possible and urgently needed. It also is a powerful illustration that these changes require collaborative efforts on many fronts - political, legal, scientific and educational. Saving the koala offers us a chance to reclaim something precious.
We must decide: will future generations look back with pride at how we turned things around - or with regret at how we let it slip away?