Our 29th annual koala count from Grey River Road took place under heavy overcast skies Fortunately no rain fell during our walk.
We began as a fairly small group of eight persons but at our morning tea stop at Kennett River we were very pleased to welcome Corinna from the Kennett River Association and Penny, Alan and Eva from Friends of Lorne Inc. All of whom were very keen to join us for the koala count.
After morning tea we made our way up to the start of the Greatr OItway National Park where we always begin our survey.
Koalas during our walk along Grey River Road were very hard to find. The general conditions and poor light made it difficult to see through the trees and foliage.
Corinna found our first koala and eventually more were spotted by other members. Even though they were high up in the canopy of the trees Paul got some great photos.
None of them showed the slightest interest in our presence!
We were also following a small family group of Eastern Grey Kangaroos who kept just ahead of us as they were browsing on the green verge. Two adults , four juveniles and a pouch young made up the group. Eventually they left the road and headed into the forest.
Our final number totalled seven koalas for the day. This is our second lowest number ever. In 2023 we counted only six. This compares with 13 last year and 24 in 2024. It is hard to speculate what might be the reason for the inconsistent koala numbers, however I’m sure everyone enjoyed the day. It is always a pleasure walking through the magnificent Otway forests.
Report by Kaye Traynor
Photography: Marg MacDonald, Alison Watson. Paul Wright