The Koala Can Eat a Non-Eucalyptus Diet
This article is part of a series. To read part one, click here.
Non-Eucalyptus diet in a captive sector
In my many years working with koalas – from small, to very large numbers – there is one thing that I am sure of: koalas can eat a non-eucalyptus diet. While my colleagues and I have known this for decades, there is a myth that persists in Australia and around the world that koalas can only each eucalyptus.
Throughout my career, I have witnessed koalas sitting in, and eating from non-eucalyptus trees such as pine, melaleuca, lophostemon, banksia, acacia, hakea, leptospermum and allocasuarina.
The true role of a dietician, such as myself is to search for more answers. Though various scientific journals have claimed that koalas can have differing dietary preferences, nobody has actually demonstrated this in the field. This means that nobody has set up an on-field plan, created and undertaken formal research of a selected group of koalas, and implemented a carefully managed non-eucalyptus diet.
This sort of study would be difficult, but not impossible. First, koalas would need to be carefully selected, and it could be difficult to ascertain the criteria for such a study and knowing which koalas would be eligible for such a project. Secondly, the koala industry has such a high staff turnover and conservative attitude that there is very little opportunity to undertake such a study, which requires long-term commitment, forward-thinking and industry consistency.
Three different type of food sourcing in Captivity
Major zoological parks and wildlife centres have lost touch with the foundational requirements for a happy, healthy koala. Over time, as they prioritised commerce over welfare, (rather than allowing them to work in harmony) the standards of food sourcing began to dwindle.Today, the industry prioritised plantation-sourced food over field-sourced food, and this has created a notable drop in the health, wellbeing and behaviour of the koala.
To ensure the best possible outcomes for koala welfare, we must understand the role of food and food sourcing. There are three major cutting styles that we train new staff in.
These include:
Field Browsing is the truest form of field cutting. This technique is only mastered by a few of the most experienced 'cutters', and requires a deep understanding of a vast range of tree species and a strong knowledge of soil types, climate changes, and the impact of weather conditions on soil/trees. Experienced koala keepers use food to produce a range of behavioural outcomes; using the food for daily activities within the park itself to get the most out of the koala and ensure optimum commercial success. Such experiences means that koala keepers go from experts in food sourcing to a new role of koala behaviourist/dietary consultant - as they have the rare ability of being able to influence the behaviour of a koala or a group of koalas.
Spot collection is a technique that is usually assigned to 'trainee cutters' and the average koala cutter that only see their work as a job. This process involves browsing and cutting from known locations, and is done under the guidance of experts. The more senior cutters are able to source food for themselves in areas in which they are shown by the experts, who provide them with guidance, however, they generally do not do well cutting in new environments, without the supervision of experts.
Plantations collection is a technique that is highly institutionalised and often sees 'cutters'/horticulturists collecting from the same locations each day, or every second to third day from a limited tree species – usually only 10 - 15 tree species per year. This method is lazier, and means that the koala has less diversity in their diet. This method has gradually been implemented in many zoos and parks and ultimately prioritises convenience (and humans) over the welfare and needs of the koala.
Our limited understanding of the koala will only serve to damage the koala's quality of life and the industry itself. By expanding our understanding, challenging the status-quo and our own misperceptions and carry koala conservation and welfare into the 21st century, we are pledging a commitment to exciting discoveries and advancements across the koala industry.
This concludes our series of Disruptive Innovation. At the end of every theme, we will provide an artistic representation of the ideas explored, to give you a better understanding of what Koala Retreat is all about. For this theme, we suggest a movie based on a true story of a baseball managed who was looking for change in his industry. Tired of the repetitive cycle of recruitment for the Oakland A's, he challenged the perception of the way the industry conducted its business. The movie highlights the discrimination that still exists within the game of baseball, as well as unconscious bias, and societies fast-moving pace that can oftentimes be detrimental to industries. This movie shows a man struggling for clarity and a higher purpose while living in an environment controlled by old traditions.
This movie is MONEYBALL! (Starring Brad Pitt, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Jonah Hill).
The NEXT biggest question is, "What is in the word Conservation?"
Should it only be relevant to free-range, wild koala populations? Or could their long-term survival come from an unlikely place, such as the captivity sector?
Our next theme explores this theory: the word CONSERVATION!