The Koala Bear Population Explosion

Red flags waved high up in the eucalyptus trees. The grunts could be heard from far away as the mother koala bear and her baby struggled to escape them. Eventually a noose gripped the mother's neck and she was brought to the ground with her baby clutching her back. The baby koala cried as two big hands gripped its body and pried it from its mother. The mother kicked up dirt and dust as she fought to break free. The baby bear was dropped in a wooden crate. The mother bear eventually gave up her struggle and was also lowered into the crate. The lid was shut tight and the crate klunked onto a trailer. As the truck pulled away, I could see the bears, watching their home disappear in the distance.

In order to save the koala bears from overpopulating the Tower Hill Game Reserve in Victoria, Australia, this scene was repeated several times the day we visited. Tower hill has a history of beauty, destruction, and the long process of rejuvenation.

In 1855 Victorian artist, Eugene von Guerard painted Tower Hill, the volcanic crater containing lakes and islands. At the time, Tower Hill was rich in wildlife and the forest was so dense that people reportedly were concerned about getting lost if they ventured into it. But by 1869, the timber had been cleared and the lakes began to fill with top soil washing in from the islands and crater walls. To make matters worse the lakes were damned to block the outflow and the salinity levels rose. For better economic use pine trees were planted, quarries and gravel pits were opened and the land was grazed.

In an attempt to halt the decline of the once majestic, volcano, the area was declared Victoria's first national park In 1892, but it wasn't until 1961, when it was declared a state game reserve, that the restoration of the original plants and animals began.

Thirty-five years and 250,000 trees later, the reserve is once again full of wildlife, including, emus, kangaroos, sliders, cape barren geese, spoonbills, and koala bears. Unfortunately the delicate natural balance of Tower Hill, which was destroyed in a few years, is taking decades and will take possibly centuries to fully restore. The koala bears which were reintroduced to Tower Hill, were not descendants of the koala bears who once inhabited the crater. The new bears are resistant to the local diseases. By not having any predators they have overpopulated the reserve. The eucalyptus trees, their main source of food, are being stripped bare. So, in order to save the trees, the bears are being moved to a new home.

The struggle will continue at Tower Hill Game Reserve for many years. As the trees mature, the native ferns and shrubs which depend on them for cover will be reintroduced. As old trees die, natural homes for sliders and birds will replace the artificial ones. Perhaps one day there will be a natural balance between koala bears and eucalyptus trees.

Decades of work restoring the reserve could have been prevented if the scene painted by Eugene von Guerard was not destroyed in the first place. The cost of restoring an ecosystem is great in both time, money and labor. Before we destroy the few remaining natural ecosystems for short term benefits, we should carefully consider the long term costs of restoration.