On the operating table, Joe Mangy—a two-year-old koala—lies unconscious with tubes snarled around a mask covering his face. His red, watery eyes are the only visible signs of the chlamydia ravaging his body. Eight days ago, Joe was found disoriented on a suburban road, his eyes nearly sealed shut with mucus. He was rushed to the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary’s hospital, nestled in the rainforests of Queensland’s Gold Coast, where he joined scores of other koalas battling the same disease.
Currumbin’s hospital has become ground zero in the fight against a devastating chlamydia epidemic that is pushing koalas to the brink of extinction. This bacterial infection not only causes blindness and starvation but also wreaks havoc on their urinary and reproductive systems, leaving many sterile. “You get days where you’re euthanising heaps of koalas,” says Dr. Michael Pyne, the head vet, reflecting on the grim reality of his 20 years at the clinic.
Koalas, once a common sight along Australia’s east coast, have suffered dramatic population declines in recent years, with some regions reporting an 80% drop in numbers over the past decade. Land clearing, urbanisation, and natural disasters have decimated their habitat, but chlamydia has emerged as a leading threat, spreading rapidly through koala populations. In Queensland and New South Wales, nearly half of the koalas are estimated to be infected, with certain areas, like Elanora near Currumbin, seeing rates exceed 80%.
Efforts to combat the disease include a groundbreaking vaccine developed by the Queensland University of Technology (QUT). After nearly two decades of research, the vaccine is being trialed on 30 wild koalas in Elanora, with promising results: vaccinated koalas have shown a significant recovery rate, and the birth of over two dozen healthy joeys marks a hopeful reversal of infertility trends. Currumbin hospital is also vaccinating every koala that passes through its doors, having treated around 400 so far.
Despite these successes, the fight against chlamydia is hindered by financial and regulatory challenges. Each vaccination costs approximately A$7,000, and capturing, treating, and monitoring wild koalas doubles the expense. Researchers at the University of the Sunshine Coast (UniSC) have similarly been vaccinating about 2,000 koalas annually, with a recent study showing that vaccinated populations experience two-thirds fewer deaths. However, securing federal approval for these vaccines remains a slow and uncertain process.
As researchers and wildlife hospitals balance immediate care for koalas with the long-term goal of widespread vaccine approval, the stakes remain high. Without swift action and sustained funding, the survival of Australia’s iconic marsupials hangs in the balance.
