Inside-out and outside-in the koala industry
This article is part of a series. If you missed Part 2, please click here.
Traditionally there have been two approaches to koala management:
The first is the conservation sector, which focuses on protecting the natural habitat of the koala and other native wildlife. This approach works inside-out. Conservation programs work on a variety of initiatives; from tree planting and habitat restoration to species reintroduction and monitoring.
In the wild, koalas must defend themselves from various threats, including traffic, natural disasters (such as bushfires), predation from other species, particularly cats and dogs, as well as housing and infrastructure developments.
The conservation sector is supported by various social groups who work on behalf of the koala to protect and preserve its natural environment to enable future survival.
However, this approach has limitations.
Many of the environmental advocacy groups are comprised of part-time workers and volunteers who are struggling to control an environment that's open to the wider community, and thus, human interference (and destruction).
The natural environment of a koala can be influenced by a range of factors, including government policymakers and industry decision-making, direct human behaviours such as habitat exploitation, as well as pollution, bushfires, climate change and soil erosion.
Humans can have an extremely negative impact (both directly and indirectly) on the koala's natural habitat, swiftly reversing any actions that environmental groups undertook to protect the koala's habitat.
The second approach is the captive management sector, which focuses on bringing natural resources and material from the outside into one fixed address. This is the outside-in approach.
In captivity, humans bring resources to the koala in a much more controlled environment. This approach can provide the koala with safety, shelter, food and more, which has been proven to extend their lifespan. There are various levels of 'controlled'; and I will compare three different versions, of 1. Fully
However, this approach also has its limitations.
This sector has been negatively impacted by poor business decision-makers and ignorant upper management who have prioritised economic expansion and quick wins over the needs of the koalas and at the expense of the passionate and experienced staff. The commerce managers of the captivity management sector are not willing to invest in the
Koalas are expensive and labour-intensive, particularly in medium to large numbers. As a result, most industry players aren't willing to invest the required amount of funds (and resources) to ensure that the industry thrives. This lack of reinvestment, lack of awareness and blatant self-interest disregards staff incentives, such as training and development, and ensures that effective measures are not widely adopted.
The captivity sector has changed dramatically in the last 15 years, especially here in Sydney, with very few experienced, long-term staff members specialising in koala husbandry remaining. There
As a result, the industry is primarily made up of inexperienced staff that rely on mentors who have little more experience than them, are unable to provide adequate training and development, have no long-term plans in place, and fail to prioritise or understand the needs of the koala.
This ineffective system flows all the way from upper management down to the bottom.
It also means that funds are redirected to other projects and senior specialists and experts leave the industry. Koala care (and in some cases, health) declines, and koala numbers drop. Newer, more inexperienced staff begin to fill the parks and inexperienced keepers and management ensure that this harmful cycle continues.
And, this cycle continues to this very day. If you doubt my words, I encourage you to have a look at the way we still present the koala to the public; it hasn't changed at all. In fact, in this way, little has changed in the past 30-40 years.
Koalas are still basically perched on a tree stump and that's it. If anything, these perches themselves have shrunk to make it easier for staff members to reach them. Unfortunately, the koala captive industry has failed to embrace new opportunities that would allow for the koala to be prioritised and managed in a way that allows for it to prosper under its own identity. The koala is, after all, economically self-sufficient through its popularity. The captive koala industry needs to embrace the 21st century and develop tighter and more adaptive guidelines that will allow the koala to thrive as the robust, independent and iconic species that it is. This will go a long way in forging a path for the zoological industry and the general public to learn and grow alongside it too.
The next article looks at people who think differently, the way we view each other, and the industry we find ourselves in.
