The male three-to-four-year-old marsupial was released at Wapengo, Mimosa Rocks National Park, near a known koala population.

His box was placed next to a tree thought most suitable, threatened species officer with the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage Chris Allen said.

“He hesitated a little while, came to the tree, sniffed it presumably to make sure there weren’t any other koalas there, then went up the tree and kept on going up and up.”

The koala had been found at the end of August near Wapengo, between Tathra and Bermagui, sitting unmoving on the middle of the road.

He was taken to carers who contacted Mr Allen, then was examined by a vet and looked after at Potoroo Palace.

Mr Allen said the koala was in “quite good condition”, aside from possibly being a little on the thin side and scats being somewhat softer than usual.

While in care he ate heartily and scat quality improved.

Possible reasons why the koala had been on the road could be he was glanced by a car and stunned, or driven out of his home area by another older koala. 

STRUGGLING koala populations are recovering in the Bega Valley. 

A 2012-14 survey titled Corridors and Core Habitats for Koalas project estimates there are around 50-100 koalas living in 35,000ha between Narira Creek in the north to Bega River in the south. 

This is a significant finding as in a 2007-09 survey, evidence of koalas was found, but it was generally at a lower level. 

“There is clear evidence of recovery,” threatened species officer with the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage Chris Allen said.

“We have here the only koala populations between Sydney and the Victorian border.”

Mr Allen is managing the survey, in which research is performed by counting koala scats.

The largest population of koalas is in Mumbulla State Forest, with smaller populations at Murrah State Forest, Biamanga National Park and Mimosa Rocks National Park. 

“We consider it an endangered population, we could still easily lose it,” Mr Allen said.

“But if the current trends continue, it may increase.

“If we could get the population to several hundred then it would be much more secure – but that is a long way off.” 

An issue for the koalas in this region is how there is relatively low suitable foliage for them to eat.

Mr Allen said while koalas feed on six to eight types of eucalyptus, there is only around one in 15 in the local population’s habitat that is suitable.

However, the increasing numbers shows they are managing this issue. 

“I’m convinced that this population has adapted to this habitat,” Mr Allen said. 

The Corridors and Core Habitats for Koalas project is funded through the Commonwealth Government’s Biodiversity Fund, and is undertaken by National Parks and Wildlife Service, Forests NSW and the Environmental Protection Authority.  

“The purpose of it is to establish the distribution abundances of koalas to assist with management decisions, and to put down the foundations for a management program,” Mr Allen said.